WASHINGTON – U.S Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote a letter to the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education today, asking its members to encourage local school boards to give students the tools to be informed, engaged citizens, regardless of party affiliation. Murphy wrote in response to recent reports of a student in Connecticut who was restricted from accessing certain websites at school because they were deemed to be unacceptable political advocacy.

“I became involved in politics during high school. In those formative years, I developed a deep interest in improving my community through public service. An essential requirement to becoming a good public servant is being informed about the diverse viewpoints that shape the dialogue on issues that impact the community. Students should have access to the tools that make this possible.”

The full text of Murphy’s letter is below.

June 20, 2014

Richard Murray
President
Connecticut Association of Boards of Education
81 Wolcott Hill Road
Wethersfield, CT 06109

Dear Mr. Murray,

I write to urge the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education to encourage local school boards to adopt policies that promote open dialogue and provide students with access to the materials necessary for developing informed opinions. Students should have the opportunity in their schools to learn about government and politics in a variety of ways, from classroom discussion to meeting with elected representatives, regardless of party, to hear about their experiences.

In some districts, policies are in place that prohibit elected representatives from visiting schools, whether or not it is campaign related. More recently, various news outlets reported that students in one district were unable to access some political information due to the blocking of certain websites. The school district reportedly had a policy that filtered not only pornographic or violent websites, but also those that present political/advocacy related content.

I became involved in politics during high school. In those formative years, I developed a deep interest in improving my community through public service. An essential requirement to becoming a good public servant is being informed about the diverse viewpoints that shape the dialogue on issues that impact the community. Students should have access to the tools that make this possible.

As the youngest member of the United States Senate, I believe it is critically important for us to nurture and support young peoples’ interest in public service, no matter their political leaning. Although these recent reports focused on one school district and did not implicate any intended bias by the school district or company operating the filtering system, it is important to ensure that policies are in place throughout Connecticut that allow students to have exposure to new ideas and inspire students to learn about and contribute to their community. Some districts already do this, by having policies that allow access to acceptable advocacy and government sites and upgrading filtering systems that better balance access to information with security.

This is not a partisan issue. Students that have an interest in becoming engaged should have access to appropriate websites regardless of the point of view they communicate. Local policies should embrace openness and provoke critical thought about the issues that impact us all. I appreciate your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Christopher S. Murphy

United States Senator