Commentary Controversial topics come up at school all the time. This is to be expected, particularly in high school classrooms. To be truly educated, students need to grapple with difficult issues such as climate change, LGBTQ rights, abortion, international conflicts, and many other topics. Teachers play a vital role in helping students become critical thinkers. Not only do good teachers provide students with the background knowledge they need to think critically, but they avoid turning their classrooms into indoctrination centres. This means presenting information and arguments in a relatively balanced and even-handed manner. One of the fastest ways to lose the trust of parents, students, and community members is to let them see that you have a political agenda. For example, a student equity program adviser with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) was recently suspended after he sent out teaching material with an obvious anti-Israel bias. Among other things, …