The recent death of conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk has triggered the debate over what freedom of speech looks like in a school environment. What can schools do to prepare students for the political atmosphere they will soon enter, and what roles do teachers play in ensuring students are able to advocate their beliefs?

Immediately following the death of Kirk, District 99 came together to decide how they were going to handle creating a safe place for students affected and maintain respectful interactions between students within the classroom. Superintendent Dr. Hank Thiele shared the ideas behind the email that was sent to teachers after the tragedy.

“Not everybody knew who Charlie Kirk was, and everybody might not know the impact, especially on social media, of how wide of a reach he had. So we wanted to make sure everybody was prepared in case a student came in upset or dialogue kind of broke out about it. Our goal was to make sure our teachers were ready for what might happen,” Thiele said.

In an attempt to ensure students had a safe option to discuss the event if they so desired, teachers were informed to direct them to the social studies department, where those adults are trained to handle controversial topics and discussions.

Social studies teachers do not only focus on debating opinions, they help students form and articulate their own. Social studies teacher Laura Rodey shared the goals she hopes to accomplish within her classroom to ensure students can support themselves and their beliefs in the future.

“I think part of what I want students to learn in school is just how to have conversations with people. For me, it’s not just about difficult topics, it’s about everything. In general I just want students to build communication skills. What I try to do in government class and U.S. history is really focused on breaking down the arguments of an issue, so understanding what is important to each side, what does each side value, and we spend a lot of time using the values language as a way to communicate that,” Rodey said.

Social Studies teacher Elaine Marinakos spoke on what that looks like in her own classroom as well.

“I work diligently to build a safe rapport in my classroom. I model and share examples of what good, productive dialogue should look like. We emphasize that we can disagree without being disagreeable,” Marinakos said.

Senior politics club member Claire Mallo is relieved to have a space and supportive teachers within this school that make it possible for students to learn how and have the opportunity to express their opinions.

“I think silencing speech leads to more tension and violence because a lot of people have conflicting views and that can lead to arguments if not discussed. If people do not have an outlet to express their beliefs their anger will build up and lead to danger,” Mallo said, “I believe learning to [converse] starts at the high school level, and focusing on this can lead to less political violence in the future.”

According to Tinker v. Des Moines of 1969, students do not lose their freedom of speech within the school, but there are guidelines in place in order to protect the peace of students.

“The old Tinker rule, you don’t leave your first amendment rights at the schoolhouse door, but there are some limitations that happen because you are in this school community,” Thiele said.

More specifically, educators do have greater limitations, as they hold a position of power over students. Educators at Clemson University and Barrington High School in Rhode Island were terminated for their derogatory political posts on social media. Thiele commented on what the protocol is within District 99 regarding teacher’s social media posts.

“It is totally situational, it depends what was said, how it was said, depends on whether or not on that page they identify themselves as a member of the school community, it depends on who their followers are, who engaged, and then the overall impact. The larger the ripple it has on the school environment, the more authority the school has to intervene,” Thiele said.

Marinakos commented on what this looks like from a teacher’s perspective.

“We are protected from the government in terms of free speech… However, in our private lives we are not immune from the consequences of free speech. We can lose our jobs, friends, family, etc; so there may be times when we may choose how much to share,” Marinakos said.

Freedom of speech within the United States is vital, and it begins with learning to see other people’s perspectives.

“Since the ratification of our country’s constitution, discussion, discourse, and self expression have been the top priority; It is how a democracy works. We should always be trying to understand each other in a way that is productive and thoughtful. This does not mean that we all have to come to an agreement, but as long as we question our own thinking and work toward productive growth, that in itself is a meaningful goal,” Marinakos said.