The results of the 2016 Elections sent shockwaves throughout the country. After a dramatic yearlong of campaigning, Republican candidate, Donald Trump had been elected as the 45th President of the United States of America. Americans had been anticipating a quite different result. The opposing candidate, Hillary Clinton had 90% chances of winning the elections, according to the polls. Trump’s win had a major impact all over the country and the world. Especially due to his extremely conservative views on certain subjects like immigration. The political environment in the country had shifted since the results were announced. Author Jean Robert Revolus’s book, US Election 2016 NO COLLUSION?978-1-95-163003-4 delves deep into the events prior, during, and after the 2016 Election. Revolus writes about the allegations made against Trump, accusing him of colluding with the Russian government in hopes of swinging the results of the election in his favor, as well as the investigations led into the possibility of collusion. The findings of the investigations and charges against several of Trump’s associates are mentioned in the book as well.
Trump’s win and his radical views had a major impact on different parts of the community. One such place was schools. As per the Southern Poverty Law Center, here is how the 2016 Election affected schools in the U.S.:
In the first days after the 2016 presidential election, the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project administered an online survey to K–12 educators from across the country. Over 10,000 teachers, counselors, administrators, and others who work in schools have responded. The survey data indicate that the results of the election are having a profoundly negative impact on schools and students. Ninety percent of educators report that school climate has been negatively affected, and most of them believe it will have a long-lasting impact. A full 80 percent describe heightened anxiety and concern on the part of students worried about the impact of the election on themselves and their families.
Also on the upswing: verbal harassment, the use of slurs and derogatory language, and disturbing incidents involving swastikas, Nazi salutes, and Confederate flags.
Teaching Tolerance conducted a previous survey in March when we asked teachers how the primary campaign season was affecting our nation’s students. The 2,000 educators who responded reported that the primary season was producing anxiety among vulnerable students and emboldening others to new expressions of politicized bullying. Teachers overwhelming named the source of both the anxiety and the behavior as Donald Trump, then a leading contender for the Republican nomination.
Since Trump was elected, media have been awash in reports of hate incidents around the nation, including at schools. Some detractors have characterized the reports as isolated, exaggerated, or even as hoaxes. This survey, which was distributed by several organizations via email and social media, offers the richest source of information about the immediate impact of the election on our country. The findings show that teachers, principals, and district leaders will have an oversized job this year as they work to heal the rifts within school communities.
This report provides a high-level summary of the findings.
· Nine out of 10 educators who responded have seen a negative impact on students’ mood and behavior following the election; most of them worry about the continuing impact for the remainder of the school year.
· Eight in 10 reports heightened anxiety on the part of marginalized students, including immigrants, Muslims, African Americans, and LGBT students.
· Four in 10 have heard derogatory language directed at students of color, Muslims, immigrants, and people based on gender or sexual orientation.
· Half said that students were targeting each other based on which candidate they’d supported.
· Although two-thirds report that administrators have been “responsive,” four out of 10 don’t think their schools have action plans to respond to incidents of hate and bias.
· Over 2,500 educators described specific incidents of bigotry and harassment that can be directly traced to election rhetoric. These incidents include graffiti (including swastikas), assaults on students and teachers, property damage, fights, and threats of violence.
· Because of the heightened emotion, half are hesitant to discuss the election in class. Some principals have told teachers to refrain from discussing or addressing the election in any way.
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