Dighton-Rehoboth Teachers Object to GBI Policy

The Dighton-Rehoboth Regional Teachers Association (DRTTA) does not support the district’s GBI policy, which was approved last December by the Dighton-Rehoboth School Committee.


“The majority of our members do not like this policy at all because it is too vague,” Steve Patrick, President of the DRRTA, told the committee at their March 25 meeting.


The teachers’ union filed a grievance against the school district over the policy. Patrick said the policy was intended to focus on prohibiting political activities and advocacy but had also brought up social issues, which the union members objected to.


Parents and students also expressed their opposition to the policy.


The revised GBI policy states in part: “In connection with campaigning, an employee shall not: use school district facilities, equipment or supplies; discuss their campaign with school personnel or students when actively engaged in official duties; or use any time for campaigning
purposes when actively engaged in official duties. Under no circumstances will students be pressured into campaigning for any staff member.
In addition, school district facilities are not public forums for the display or dissemination of an employee’s views on political candidates or political, partisan, or social policy issues. While engaged in their official duties, employees shall not participate in political activities. Such activities include:
• Campaigning for or against any candidate, political party or issue;
• An employee’s using his/her position to attempt to influence students, parents or others to vote for or against any candidate or issue.
• Contacting students, parents or others for such purposes;
• An employee’s using his/her position to attempt to influence students, parents or others to adopt any view on any political issue;
• Wearing apparel with political messages or displaying campaign paraphernalia while performing work;
• Displaying political materials in classrooms or on other parts of
school property that do not support the educational goals
of the district, create an unwelcoming or disrespectful
environment for students, or create a disruption to the
educational process.

“For the purposes of this policy, political issues, messages, and activities are those issues, messages, and activities which relate to the government or public affairs, including economic issues, foreign policy, social issues, or political or social ideologies over which the public is deeply divided.”