IMBA:  VISITING SPEAKERS IN THE CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES

The School Committee encourages the use of visiting speakers when the speaker’s program/presentation is educationally sound and directly related to the curriculum.

The School Committee recognizes that visiting speakers may have specific opinions and that their subjects may be controversial.  Freedom of thought and expression is compromised if they are prohibited from speaking simply because of their point of view.  Students need to examine issues upon which there is disagreement, learn to analyze and discriminate between facts and opinions, discuss differing viewpoints, and draw and support tentative conclusions.  The School Committee recognizes that many subjects are not suitable for younger or less mature students but that, when appropriately handled, the use of controversial speakers can be a valuable component of citizenship education. 

The School Committee establishes the following guidelines for the use of visiting speakers:

         A.   Invitations to speakers must be approved in advance by the building principal. 

         B.    Selection of speakers and topics must be appropriate to the age and grade  

                     level of the students in the audience.

         C.    The topic and presentation must be directly related to the curriculum.

         D.   No speaker may engage in profanity or advocate discriminatory or illegal  

                     acts or violation of School Committee policies or school rules during    

                     his/her presentation to students.

         E.    In the event that the teacher and principal believe the visiting speaker’s 

                     topic or presentation is determined to be controversial, the teacher will  

                     notify parents in advance.

         F.    When the speaker’s presentation involves controversial issues, a balance of

        viewpoints should be presented or appropriate introductory or follow up 

                     activities planned to make students aware of different points of view.

         G.    The teacher or administrator who has invited the speaker must be present at

                     all times during the presentation.

         H.    The teacher or building principal may interrupt or suspend the presentation

       of any speaker who disrupts the instructional program or the operations of 

                     the schools.

 The Superintendent/designee may develop additional regulations to implement this policy.

 Adopted:                 July 16, 2013

Cross Reference:     IMB – Teaching About Controversial/Sensitive Issues

                                 IMBB – Exemption from Required Instruction