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Presidential election setting poor model for children

August 24, 2016
In a typical presidential election year, Peachtown teachers take the opportunity to inform even their youngest students about the political and electoral process, and current events are often the springboard for wider discussions of civics. This year, however, is anything but typical; teachers will have to think twice about turning their students’ attention to the national stage.
I have written before about the poor example of manners and civility displayed by public figures, the loss of intelligent discourse and the preference for flamboyant rhetoric over facts and science. We are in a season of social, political, racial and religious tensions, which makes it a critical time for thoughtful response and leadership.
I am often struck by the similarities in social interactions among a group of adults and an average group of fifth-graders — a testament to our basic natures. In almost any group of children, a dominant personality will exert some influence over the behavior of a group. A strong, mature voice will act to temper the behavior of a group. An angry, mischievous or insolent leader will unleash riskier behaviors among his or her peers. You can see their little minds working to decide whether to go along with the model presented by the leader or stand on their own, and if many in the group follow the lead presented to them, it is harder for the others to stand firm.
The adult world is little different. To paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr., hate speak begets hate speak, and hate speak begets violence. Name-calling on the national stage is no different than name-calling on the playground. It is an educators' job to prevent bullying and stop it when they see it. It is the responsibility of a citizenry to do the same.
A primary focus of a Peachtown education is to raise children to be kind, inclusive and respectful; yet, many of those with the power to enact education policy model behaviors that are unacceptable in our schools. In a cyber society, where we cannot monitor everything to which children are exposed, we should demand a higher moral standard and a higher standard of civility among elected officials and others in high office.
Moral development and impulse control continue to develop throughout adulthood, so it is logical to expect a higher standard among adults. But perhaps the game show, “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” is right on target. Think about what you want for your children and who you want them to be. Stand up to the pressure of the group and take the moral high ground.
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