After social media flare-ups on Thursday, Williamson County Schools issued a statement addressing what it considered “fake news.”
A Facebook post from a Franklin woman went viral in some social media circles, causing the district to have to address the question. The woman posted that she had heard from a parent at Independence High School who had spoken to the principal after hearing that teachers were told they weren’t allowed to show the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
WCS Communications Director Carol Birdsong said the district has issued no system-wide directive.
“Here are the facts,” she said. “We are not handling this inauguration any differently than we have in the past. There has not been any type of district-wide directive regarding watching the inauguration, either live or replayed; and to our knowledge, no principal has banned teachers from watching the event with students as might be appropriate.”
Birdsong said the inauguration will stream live during most students’ lunch hour, which they could watch during that time or in study hall.
“Generally, teachers who cover content associated with history/politics/government will show and discuss parts of tomorrow’s events,” Birdsong said. “Another example taking place at Independence High is where some English classes may also look at other parts of the inauguration, such as the poetry which might be recited and compare and contrast with past inaugurations.”
She said the content also may be covered later in the semester if not tomorrow. None of the 44 schools will have a large, group setting showing of the presidential inauguration. It will instead give teachers the opportunity to address it by a class-by-class basis as they instructionally see fit. Schools will also make the recordings easily available for all to access.
Birdsong said the district’s schools will work with families that keep their children at home to watch the full day of activities.
Emily West covers Franklin, education and the state legislature for the Franklin Home Page. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter via @emwest22.
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