“We teach students how to think, not what to think,” Upper School (US) Director Jessica Keimowitz said, reflecting on the school’s goal for educating students. While the school’s website doesn’t mention political favoritism and instead highlights embracing “multiple perspectives,” some students and parents may question if that’s reflected in how the school operates.
To keep the school neutral, teachers attended several professional development sessions to address the 2024 election, Ms. Keimowitz said.
“Last fall, we focused on how we would address the issues coming up around the election,” Ms. Keimowitz said. “How are we going to address student well-being and adult well-being in a really divided moment?”
The school is focused on a framework for respectful conversations.
“We can’t control what’s happening on your social media pages, the locker room or the back of the school bus,” Ms. Keimowitz said. “What we can do is continue to promote our core values, helping students remember that slamming somebody for their political views is not kind and does not promote a community of belonging.”
US English Teacher and Sophomore Class Dean Dave Scrivner said he strives to go beyond political neutrality.
“It’s not so much about being at dead center on a political spectrum because I think that’s impossible. In class, I try to step outside party labels and move to a place driven by values and experience, not by political associations.”
Sometimes, people confuse personal values with political values, Dr. Scrivner said.
“BB&N values integrity. Some people may interpret that as leaning one way politically but in the end, it’s a value that BB&N believes in, not a political affiliation. It’s interesting how certain values and even ways of seeing the world have been gobbled up by political groups. The unfortunate consequence of that is people arguing, ‘If you believe this, you must be part of this group.’”
Listening to new perspectives from peers is beneficial for all, regardless of political affiliation, Dr. Scrivner said.
“The goal of a classroom is not to harden your thinking: it’s to broaden it. And that’s not to say, ‘Change your ideas,’ but all of us should be exposed to viewpoints that are not our own. By testing our ideas against the ideas of others, we determine which of those ideas are solid and sturdy and which could use some more thought.”
For Tommy Bresler ’27, the school is mostly a safe space to share personal views.
“I feel pretty comfortable talking about politics because even if the majority of the school may lean one way, they’re still respectful of other opinions,” Tommy said. “The school does a good job of letting students express their opinions, in general. There are some things that the school says that I don’t agree with, but I don’t feel harmed by any of that because I know my opinions, and what they say won’t affect that.”
Some political tensions exist at the school, Amanda Berlin ’26 said.
“Teachers are very open about politics, so that creates a neutral environment. However, outside of a classroom, because people are very vocal about their opinions, it creates some conflict between students.”
The school is generally succeeding in creating an open learning environment.
“Being located in Cambridge, BB&N is as nonpartisan as it gets,” Amanda said. “The only thing would be trying to limit political conversations in any class. But I think that would also limit students from learning to their full potential. So, it’s inevitable that people will complain, and that’s just the way it is.”
Diego Hammerschlag P ’28 said the school should focus on having challenging discussions.
“The school must encourage and guide discourse and conversation about these controversial topics … Even with the best of intentions, people come with their own ideas, and it doesn’t always play out as intended. But, if you’re not going to start having some of those talks now, when are you going to start?”
