As the World Turns.

Sorry, but this simply isn't "free speech." Advertising logos or slogans, including political ones, are generally not allowed in public schools and for good reason. School districts have the right, as do students, to have a learning environment free of distractions and divisiveness.

The Edwards t-shirt is an advertising slogan and would rightly be banned from school.

As longtime readers of this blog--both of them--know, I am totally opposed to teachers injecting their political views in class, including having any kind of political memorabilia in their classrooms (unless, of course, they are explicitly teaching civics classes about the current election and they are NOT pushing a political agenda). Students HAVE to be there in the classroom, and it is the responsibility of teachers NOT to look like they are influencing their students in any way. The teacher should instead encourage students to arrive at their own conclusions using their own reasoning.

And if staff should not be pushing a political agenda on school time and on school property, students shouldn't, either.

I do admire Pete Palmer for having an interest in politics; I was at that age and even younger. Still, he needs to leave the partisan politics to after school and weekends.