I am a student currently enrolled in the Northshore School District. I would like to voice my displeasure with the “Day of Silence” activity (Kenmore Junior High, April 16) promoting homosexuality. I am supportive of gay and lesbian rights, but I know that they should not be brought into the schools.

School is a place of learning, and a lot of grade percentages are based on not only homework and tests, but also participation. Any student choosing to participate in the “Day of Silence” is immediately sealing off all possibilities of participation. In many classes, listening to a teacher lecture is not the only way or the best way to gain knowledge on the subject. Many vocabulary words and terms relating to any English class must be practiced aloud for real memorization and comprehension. Many foreign languages are crippled by students’ lack of correct pronunciation. Keep in mind that no student is marked down in grade for lack of participation.

Therefore, due to the Equal Access Act, any non-curricular club is allowed to participate during school hours, within loose guidelines. Rules set by the Equal Access Act claim any non-curricular club must:

• Already have “a limited open forum” or meet outside of school

• Attendance is voluntary

• The group must be student initiated

• The group is not sponsored by teachers, the school or other school employees or the government

• The group is not disruptive

What if all of the minor ethnicities decided they were going to have a day of silence? Or all the caucasians? Or what if all the students decided they were going to have a day of silence because they dislike their lunch schedule? All of these examples would have to be permitted without penalty because of these rules set out by the Equal Access Act.

Although a pupil’s grades and participation are his or her choice, when teachers participate in the “Day of Silence” then there is no real choice of participation for any student of that teacher. Teachers participating in such activities are not able to truly teach their classes because no material can be taught to students. Sure, things can be written down and note taking is a valuable tool to many teachers, but hearing an engaging lecture is also very important. Teachers cannot properly reprimand students that are misbehaving in the classroom if there are not able to speak.

Larry Francois (Northshore School District superintendent) claims that the “Day of Silence” does not affect the learning community of a school and does not disrupt the learning process. This, unfortunately, is not true. I have had teachers and currently have teachers that participated in the “Day of Silence” and it is certainly an irregular day. Most teachers have given an unrelated assignment (i.e. a crossword puzzle or a day of silent reading) and basically turned the class loose. By the end of the class period, the students tend to be quite chatty and almost out of control.

I doubt Larry Francois or Tim Gordon have ever been a student in a secondary school classroom during the “Day of Silence,” but if they had, I feel they would realize it is certainly disruptive to the limited learning time of a short school day.

I do not wish to mar my reputation as a caring person, I am a proponent of gay and lesbian rights, I support gay and lesbian marriage, but I do not support the promotion of these moral and political issues in the classroom. I ask for the support of my community and those who share my opinion to call out against the Northshore School District’s endorsement of the “Day of Silence” in its schools.

Tony Starks