A 40-Year Teaching Career Ending After Trump/Hitler Comparison in Mountain View

After teaching history and special education at Mountain View High School for 40 years, Frank Navarro can barely get the words out of his mouth. They came haltingly, in fits and starts.

“I will not be coming back, and it’s very hard for me to say that,” Navarro said. “I love this job. I mean, I feel like I can learn something from it every day.”

Navarro said he’s retiring in June because the Mountain View Los Altos High School District showed him little respect by putting him on paid leave on Nov. 10 to investigate a complaint about his world history lesson comparing Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler. Navarro returned to school on Nov. 14 after significant public outrage and a change.org petition calling for his return generated thousands of signatures.

Mountain View Los Altos High School District Superintendent Jeff Harding said the short investigation wasn’t about Navarro’s Trump/Hitler lesson, but Harding was vague about what he now calls “a series of concerns over numerous weeks before the election.”

“The district had an obligation to pursue various concerns that came to the school administration,” Harding said.

Navarro said after he was brought back from leave, Harding privately apologized to him, admitting the situation wasn’t handled properly. Navarro wanted a public apology but said Harding would not do it.

Navarro said it all started about three weeks before the Nov. 8 election when he gave a historical lesson on Hitler’s rise to power in Germany from 1930 to 1933 and compared it to Donald Trump’s platform.

“Adolf Hitler said he’d make Germany great again. Donald Trump said he’s going to make America great again,” Navarro said. “Hitler focused on the Jews as the great peril of Germany, and Trump focused on the Muslims and talk about a registry and keeping Muslims out of the country.”

Navarro is an expert on the Holocaust and has studied at the International Center for the Study of the Holocaust in Jerusalem. The 65-year-old was also named a Mandel Fellow for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

After the lesson, Navarro said the principal came to him and said the parent of a student sent an email and was put off with his Trump/Hitler comparison.

“I told him it would be beneficial to all involved if we sat down and kicked around the history,” Navarro said. “We could do it over coffee. I offered to do it with the parent, and I was greeted with silence.”

Then, two days after the election, Navarro said he was asked to come to the principal’s office with a union representative. At that point Navarro said the assistant superintendent read him the parent’s email but wouldn’t let him see it.

“The parent said in the email that I said Donald Trump is Hitler and that Trump hates Jews, Mexicans and African-Americans,” Navarro said. “And I countered I would never say that because it was sloppy historical thinking.”

Navarro said there were also other accusations that he had never heard anything about.

“I was also accused of feeding propaganda to my students and real bias, and then I was quickly informed I was on leave. I was to leave the campus immediately,” Navarro said.

Navarro said he was told he would likely be returning to campus the following Wednesday after an investigation, including interviews with students.

At this point, Navarro doesn’t believe there was an investigation because the students left school an hour after he left campus and they had Friday off for Veterans Day. He was back on the job Monday after the superintendent called him over the weekend.

Navarro had been considering retiring at one point, but said he was planning to put it off for a couple of years because he loves the exchange with students.

Since the election of Trump, Navarro admits these are perilous times for teachers in the classroom.

“I would hope that no teacher self-censors, and I would hope that the administration looks carefully at what is being said before they move on somebody,” Navarro said.

It’s clear Navarro still loves being in a classroom, and will be a reluctant retiree in June. But he said it’s hard for him to accept the lack of respect for his job as a teacher.

“After 40 years, don’t I deserve a little more?” Navarro said.

Explore: Education, News, Donald Trump

Show Comments (134)

Jon Spangler

I feel sorry for the parent who was clearly–and, IMHO, inappropriately–put off (threatened, perhaps?) by a timely and legitimate historical comparison undertaken by an experienced trained in Holocaust issues; IMHO, the parent– and the principal–should have been thrilled that the kids were learning critical thinking skills from a skilled and experienced professional like Frank Navarro.

I was extremely lucky to have many “controversial” teachers like Frank Navarro (mine were Mr. Carlini, Mr. Matsueda, Coach Warren, Ray Doherty, “Rusty” Reed, Charles Jay Selby, Alan Baldwin, and more) who taught me critical thinking in public school classes: I learned priceless citizenship skills from them that have served me well in 45+ years of active engagement in democracy since I graduated from Sequoia High School in Redwood City in 1969.

Shame on the principal for not having the integrity to stand up for his skilled, experienced teacher–and for critical inquiry. Without these necessary and legitimate discussions of controversial topics in the classroom, how are young people going to learn the critical thinking skills they need to be intelligent, discerning, and functioning citizens in our ever-more-turbulent democracy?
- Sadie Carlson
  
  I couldn’t have said it better. Navarro taught me to think critically about current events and to look towards history as a reference. What more can one ask for from high school history.
- Wally Damron
  
  I don;t think it is a legitmate comparison, but at the same time, I do not think that the Teacher should have been put on leave. It was legitamate to compare them, but not a legitmate comparison, but definately to constructively argue about.
  
  Very few people can be compared to what Hitler planned for the Jews and Trump is not one of them.
  - ammerique
    
    It’s a little early to say that Trump is not one of them, he clearly has fascist tendencies and I think those similarities need to be taught to children. Let’s revisit in 4 years how much more closely Trump will align to Hitler.
    - johnnycoyo
      
      Let’s hope he is impeached before we get there …it may be too late ! Of course then we will have the cretinesque Pence ….YIKES !
    - Jeremiah
      
      Did he spend equal time comparing how Hilliary’s campaign is similar to Hitler’s?
      (Socialism, Gun control, limiting freedom of speech, support of the media,
      Reminder: Adolf Hitler was a national socialist.
      Gun Registration: The Nazi’s prohibited people from owning guns, especially the Jews. But the Nazis themselves? They were allowed guns.
      Higher Taxes. Hitler imposed huge taxes on Jewish wealth (along with a 50% surtax on most German groups)
      Economic Policy. Nazis and Hitler loved public works programs. Like building “roads and bridges.” (While taxing and over-regulating private businesses)
      Abortion. Yes, the Nazis and Hitler loved abortion. You know who else loves abortion? Hillary and leftists. You know who doesn’t even like abortion? Republicans.
      Then did he spend equal time on the ways that both sides are NOT like Hitter? Then if he did all 4, then we are on to opening minds and letting kids make their own decisions…
  - lausdteacher
    
    But you can compare the tactics which were quite similar. When you see what happened in the days immediately after the election it is clear that America can tilt toward pre -genocide.
  - Delmarmama
    
    Hitler didn’t start with sending Jews to their death. Trump is probably more like Putin, encouraging his followers to “beat people up”, etc.
  - Richard Sanderson
    
    Nobody is saying that Trump is like Hitler. Nobody will ever be as evil as Hitler. But there are similarities in the mechanism that brought them to power.
    - 19th-Century Radical
      
      “Nobody will ever be as evil as Hitler.” You have more faith than I do.
    - Patti Ireland
      
      actually, there are many who think that Trump is as evil as Hitler. Perhaps more so, because his motivation is not a delusion about particular groups of people, but is totally about money, and a willingness to marginalize anyone and everyone for profit.
  - Michael Sagehorn
    
    The comparison was not about Hitler’s government(he had help ) and his barbarism but rather his rise to power and his supporters in that rise to power.
  - Sean Kumar Sinha
    
    Wally,
    
    The teacher made comparisons with how Trump used a very similar political platform to Hitler in order to secure support. It is a very legitimate comparison if you look at the lesson here: That Hitler and Trump both used the same tactics to come to power. They both promised to bring jobs back, make their countries great again and placed blame on minorities for the countries issues. How is that not a legitimate comparison? He didn’t say that Trump is Hitler, he merely pointed out that they used similar rhetoric to come to power.
- Jason leong
  
  Completely agree, we ask teachers to help students think critically about issues instead of taking things for face value. It is disheartening that when one, such as mr navarro, does exactly that he is punished for that. It appears education administrators need to learn they can’t have their cake and eat it to.
Jacqueline

Yes you do deserve be a great deal of respect for teaching our kids to think, analyze, and judge for themselves! Now more then ever we need you and people like you in our classrooms!
Rick Bellamy

its obvious you need to stay in place or move to college level where not only should you be more appreciated but more compensated for your invaluable historical perspective on matters at hand
- Rick Bellamy
  
  we need folks like you shaping our youth please don’t give up because one close minded parent
- Dave Feranchak
  
  You’re mistaken if you think that university teachers make more money than high school teachers. Why do people think that all of the time?!
  - Wally Damron
    
    Depends on the University. Harvard Teachers or Oxford, yes, they make more. small Universities you are correct they make far less and with less benefits.
Bum

I’m sorry but getting misty about critical thinking is bunk. He’s clearly got a political agenda and doesn’t have the backbone to admit it. Any history TA can understand the differences between 1930 Germany and 2016 US. It’s as plain as the nose on his face what his agenda was AND it was an exercise in critical thinking.
- MST66
  
  This man’s credentials are impeccable and it’s absurd for you to claim agenda. “Bum” is right. Mountain View should get rid of the superintendent and make a public and loud apology to this gifted teacher.
- Parrot
  
  Well, I’m a PhD (not a TA) and I can detect the political agenda in your comment. You know why? Because all comments, teaching, speeches, sermons, parent/child discussions, etc. are political in that they take a perspective. So yes, he is a history teacher imparting agreed upon knowledge. As for the differences between 1930 Germany and 2016 US, we do have the internet now. If Hitler had Twitter, Mein Kampf could have been distributed in spurts of 140 characters or less – punctuated with “Sad” at the end.
  - gdanning
    
    I have no idea whether this teacher was pushing his political agenda or not – though I suspect that there was more going on than an objective comparison of Trump and Hitler — Mountain View is not exactly Biloxi, after all. But, as someone who taught for many years, your statement that all teaching is political, which is a claim I have heard many times, does not resolve the issue. The fact that all teaching takes a perspective does not relieve the teacher of the responsibility to be as objective as possible, to present opposing views, etc, etc. Too many of my colleagues used the truism that all teaching is inherently political as a license to blatantly try to impose their views on students. That is unacceptable, regardless of whether it comes from the left, right, or center, and if this teacher was guilty of that, then some sort of punishment was appropriate.
    - Mike C
      
      This viewpoint is why teachers are consistently hamstrung while reactionary school boards dictate pedagogy. …..because teaching historical comparison or evolution needs to inherently “consider the other side”. Garbage, plain and simple.
      - gdanning
        
        For any historical question worth discussing, there is always another side, because the historical record is inherently incomplete and ambiguous. Re: Trump and Hitler, for example, I am sure there are many similarities. But, I am equally sure that there are many differences, and there certainly is no right answer re: which differences/similarities are most significant. As for reactionary school boards, I very much doubt that that I the case here, given that Santa Clara County voted 73% for Clinton. http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/president/county/santa-clara/
    - Parrot
      
      All we know from the story is the topic of the lecture- not the process involved in the lecture. For example, I lecture on highly charged political topics – I teach about research on gender, sexuality, family, inequality, etc.. all very political issues (in the reality of our current political order that regulates all of these things through governmental structures).
      
      Do I stop teaching about the topics or sharing the research? No. Do I present a range of research findings and compare the theoretical conclusions involved with each? Of course. And I also invite students to work through their own interpretations of research, often playing devil’s advocate along the way.
      
      However, the issue here is not the teaching process he took, it was the topic; that has serious and dangerous implications for the quality of our social fabric.
    - Michael Sagehorn
      
      gdanning- this is a comparison many historians have always made about populists. It’s a well trod instructional path. Sounds like the principal and the superintendent were PE majors.
      - gdanning
        
        Of course it is. But it is entirely possible that he did not present a discussion of the scholarship, but instead a diatribe. That certainly seems to have been the parent’s understanding of what happened, and I have seen teachers do similar things. If that is what he did, then he was wrong to do so. Of course, I also think it is wrong for teachers to put campaign posters in their classrooms for one candidate and not others, which I have also seen. But apparently a lot of teachers think that is ok.
- testoclocles
  
  I can detect the fascism in your statement. History is about politics. Historians have political points of view. You may not like his politics, and most of us certainly don’t like yours!
- Casey Peterson
  
  I think its unfair to make any comparisons to Hitler off limits. His propaganda model was amazing. That doesn’t mean I’m a Nazi-loving-jew-hater. I think you might be over-reacting to the generalization of Navarro’s comparison’s in the article. I’m pretty sure he has the knowledge, given his holocaust expertise, to objectively make comparison’s in greater detail than that.
- Plutosdad
  
  I know a few professors specializing in Germany at that time period. they ALL are scared of Trump . The only people I know who aren’t are the ones without PHDs. so perhaps you want to listen to more PHDs and fewer “history junkies” or TV pundits? There are differences, there are also similarities. And as someone once wrote “Trump is not Hitler, but Hitler also wasn’t ‘Hitler’ in the beginning”
  - Parrot
    
    You know, that’s on us as academics. We publish behind paywalls and congratulate one another within the confines of our ivory towers…. that’s not entirely a construct of our own doing; the corporatization of higher ed has many folks scared and tenure is an increasingly distant reality for most. The slow neo-liberalization of all of our venues of intellectual thought has landed us here.
    
    One of my students this semester wrote an essay on American Acceptionism. When I corrected the spelling, he said “no, that’s correct. I meant that.” We are complicit – and the onus falls on those of us fortunate enough to possess the knowledge to know better.
- heavyheavysyrup
  
  Everyone has a political agenda. As a teacher for 40 years he has the right to make the comparison between the rise of two politicians. I thought Trump supporters were for job creation, not job retraction.
- LF
  
  Dismissing a teacher without due process is exactly what a fascist would do.
Dan Saunders

I expect that Mr. Navarro could have taught this author how to spell Adolf Hitler.
Jordan Bickett

What would be the reaction to a lesson on Bernie Sanders and rise of Socialism in Russia, or Hillary Clinton’s middle eastern wars and the bloody history of imperialism? A lot of good points could be made but save it for the letter to the editor, don’t bring that into the classroom. Trump is a national disaster and he is unfit to be POTUS but this just seems irresponsible, or he knew this would happen and was planning on going anyway, the teacher.
- Mike C
  
  The reaction from this historian would be puzzlement. What do you see in Sanders that reminds you of Soviet Russia (which is what, I assume, you are refering to), or Clinton and imperialism? Where is Clinton empire building? Please explain why your post is in any way meaningful.
  - tracit
    
    Socialism and Marxism are different things, as is communism. It was not socialism in Russia, even though they called themselves a socialist republic (nor was it a republic). That is probably why there aren’t any lessons comparing Bernie Sander to Soviet Russia.
  - Jordan Bickett
    
    My examples weren’t meant to be persuasive, they aren’t, but illustrative of the same kind of attenuated comparison that’s not fit for a history lesson in a classroom.
    - Scott Peltz
      
      They actually sound like great lessons as well. Comparing and contrasting big moments in history to what is currently going on is the best way to engage students in both the course material and world around them. Both of those comparisons were made by many people over the past year, so it would be beneficial for kids to be able to look at them critically and see if the comparisons hold up under scrutiny.
      - Jordan Bickett
        
        I totally agree with that. We need to engage students to think for themselves. Its just when people treat it like thier point of view is Truth with a capital T we have a problem. It’s just funny to me there is a freak out if you question Hillarys awful foreign policy record or question Sanders ideology but saying trump is Hitler is totally fine and banal.
      - Roger Grotewold
        
        Dear Jordan, At first I was attempting to understand your ideas that these discussion points shouldn’t be taught or used in a classroom setting. My mind was open and ready to understand what you were trying to explain for our understanding. Then your political bias appeared in your comment about Hillary’s awful foreign policy record and Sander’s political point of view. Then you stated that Trump was compared to Hitler, which never happened Sadly, Jordan, your bias has given you away and you have become nothing more than someone trolling this site. I would suggest that you might better spend your time taking an English 1 course at your local community college that will teach you proper grammar and spelling. For example, (thier) should be (their) and (Hillarys awful foreign policy) should be (Hillary’s awful foreign policy) showing possession. Try doing that and you might take a World History Course as well……………..MrG
      - Jordan Bickett
        
        Dear Roger, I don’t understand why your perception of what my political biases might be would prevent us from having a conversation. You say my bias has given me away… as what? If you guessed anti-Trump reformicon that would be closest to correct. I don’t think you or I need to hide our opinions on here, obviously the opposite should be true. I don’t think it’s fair to say I’m trolling, I think I’ve been respectful to everyone on the platform. As for your concern trolling about my education I can tell you I do have a degree from San Francisco State University, despite what my clumsy thumbs do as I type these comments out mostly on my phone, I belive I got a good education there. all best, Jordan
      - Roger Grotewold
        
        I do understand the clumsy thumbs thing. We probably all have a similar problem at times. The use of trolling on my part wasn’t meant to demean you and I apologize if you thought I was saying that. I am absolutely so sick and tired of hearing how crooked Hillary is or was or whatever the Pro Trump folks are saying about her
        . I tried this site because I hoped that we could all have a discussion about something other than more political junk. With that said, Jordan, it seemed to me that what you did with your commenting about Hillary and Sanders did nothing except continue a subject that was over last Tuesday. So you see, Jordan, your candidate WON, THE ELECTION IS COMPLETED. Please let it die a welcome death and let’s be concerned about Mr. Navarro and the situation that he has encountered in his teaching career. That should be what we are discussing, in my judgment……..MrG
      - Jordan Bickett
        
        I did not vote for Trump, he is not my guy. I voted for McMullin. Putting that aside, perhaps you and I and Mr Navarro would agree we need to edge the country back from populism, which is a potentially very dangerous force when channeled by irresponsible demagogues like Trump.
      - Roger Grotewold
        
        I thought you were an older guy, after viewing the tiny picture accompanying these comments. Then I saw that you are really a young guy with a lot of hair, when it isn’t shaved off, who must be some sort of teacher with an after school program in the Oakland area. I actually lived in the bay area as well, Mill Valley actually and I was stationed in the Air Force on top of Mt. Tamalpais at the 666th Radar Station. I have to say that Trump did recognize, probably almost by accident, that a large segment of ordinary American citizens were fed up with the elite politicians that have permeated our government institutions. I am not sure that Mr. Navarro was actually teaching to this factor, but I do think he is an outstanding educator who liked to create a classroom environment of wonder and exploration by his students. I taught for 38 years and my main goal was to help create a happy American that moved into adulthood with a feeling of being a positive contributor to society. In my judgment, Mr. Navarro has a similar goal in mind as a teacher. No amount of money can ever buy that feeling that a teacher gets when they know they helped make a young person a happy, contributing citizen in our great American Society. Have a nice Turkey Day, Jordan.
- lausdteacher
  
  The comparisons are not the same. Democratic socialism and communism are NOT the same thing.
  - Sean Kumar Sinha
    
    Jordan thinks Marxism and Democratic Socialism are the same thing. He’s on the wrong footing before his argument even can begin.
    - Jeremiah
      
      Hitler’s national socialism and Hlliary and Bernie’s national socialism are very similar
- Jeremiah
  
  Agreed–when there isn’t equal time to other viewpoints, then it’s biased
ccmoab

you can use this in your defense: https://www.facebook.com/TheAtlantic/videos/10154823525748487/?pnref=story
Christina Chan

He probably won’t see this, but thank your Mr. Navarro!! But please don’t quit; now is when we need you, and I say that not in bias, but we need amazing educators to help the minds of tomorrow reach their full potential.
- Catherine Adams
  
  Yes!!!
- Linda Falconer Ford
  
  I so agree. Mr. Navarro – you are so on point on this issue it is indeed frightening. Students must be taught to think independently and not just parrot what they hear around them. Thank you for teaching them the historical comparisons. If we forget what has happened in the past and haven’t learned the lessons, we are destined to repeat them. Too many people are ignorant of this fact.
  - Jeremiah
    
    As long as he gave equal time to ‘all four sides’ (see above)
- Jeremiah
  
  Yes!!
  Did he spend equal time comparing how Hilliary’s campaign is similar to Hitler’s?
  (Socialism, Gun control, limiting freedom of speech, support of the media,
  Reminder: Adolf Hitler was a national socialist.
  Gun Registration: The Nazi’s prohibited people from owning guns, especially the Jews. But the Nazis themselves? They were allowed guns.
  Higher Taxes. Hitler imposed huge taxes on Jewish wealth (along with a 50% surtax on most German groups)
  Economic Policy. Nazis and Hitler loved public works programs. Like building “roads and bridges.” (While taxing and over-regulating private businesses)
  Abortion. Yes, the Nazis and Hitler loved abortion. You know who else loves abortion? Hillary and leftists. You know who doesn’t even like abortion? Republicans.
  Then did he spend equal time on the ways that both sides are NOT like Hitter? Then if he did all 4, then we are on to opening minds and letting kids make their own decisions…
mimmpatterson

He can not leave. He’s being bullied. That is exactly what they want. He deserves more respect from the school district and the principal. Just as important, is to show that speaking out, looking at things as they are through the lens of history is how we learn to not repeat mistakes.
- elliefrost
  
  He does not have to leave, but he is very upset that after 40 years of being a great teacher, he is being treated this way. I would retire too if I were in his place, He was being bullied.
Scott Bennett

I have been saying this all along. It is like he scripted his Campaign from reading
Mein Kampf. So he is basically being fired for stating facts. Pretty sad we have come to this.
I have a feeling it is just gonna get worse. I’m sure everyone seen the Hail Trump rallies the
Nazi’s are having all over the nation.
Emmy G

Jeff Harding (and the parents) need to sit in on Mr. Navarro’s history lessons. Sounds like they are ignorant.
Catherine Adams

I am beyond irritated that a school administrator would let himself be controlled by one misinformed, outraged parent over informed inquiry of ideas in the classroom. What a sad day for freedom.
- Michael Sagehorn
  
  Catherine- this occurs more often than folks recognize. Like Navarro, I’ve explored with students how anti Semitism among the Allies-Great Britain, United States, and the Soviet Union help explains why military leaders ignored evidence of a holocaust and did not bomb Germany’s railroads. A parent complained and I had to explain to a VP the lesson.
  - hollywoodjeff
    
    There is not likely to ever be a definite answer as to why the tracks to Auschwitz weren’t bombed (and I suspect you weren’t alive at the time) . Bombing could not be done with the accuracy of today’s warfare and the allies were engaged in a major war with a deadly enemy in which millions of civilians ended up dead and whole cities destroyed. German anti-aircraft plus Lufwaffe fighters took down scores of US planes including at least 60 Flying Fortresses. The Russians were engaged fighting the best divisions on the Eastern Front and that country lost 27 million lives which, for those in the US, is barely a footnote in history.
    - Michael Sagehorn
      
      Wasn’t alive then, but having examined the work of Holocaust scholars asking this same question, there were political policies, not military targeting decisions that guided the Allies choice to ignore the plight of people targeted for the Final Solution. I think Frank, an accomplished teacher and incorporating Facing History resources, bent the nose of a student and a parent who didn’t have the guts to call the teacher. It’s the same passive-aggressive behavior so endemic in California and it’s business and educational institutions. It’s also a Bay Area thing. I’m from San Joaquin county. Where I’m from ,we speak plainly and settle disputes face to face with discussion, not email, Twitter, or Snapchat. The superintendent and the principal should be suspended w/out pay for 15 days.
      - Jeremiah
        
        Michael, true! I agree, simple and direct–the best way–but…I’m surprised you haven’t seen or don’t know that libs (in abundant numbers here in the Bay Area) rain hellfire down on anyone who is not in lockstep agreement with them, or if there is even a hint of disagreement of their ‘obviously superior and correct’ opinions, resorting to name-calling and ‘labels’ within a maximum of two sentences in their replies, making direct honest open discussions difficult and rare.
- RSoames
  
  You’re assuming the school administrator would have voluntarily chosen to side with the teacher — there are plenty of bad administrators who don’t value or respect academic freedom. This administrator might well have been a “Make America Great Again” zealot.
Sarah

Guess what happens when all the teachers who teach real history and critical thinking are gone? An ignorant electorate. We are already seeing that, I’m afraid. I’m so disapppinted he wont be there to help our young people. We need more Mr. Navarros, not less!
david

great for a principle to take the side of a parent they hardly know against a teacher of 40 years experience and presumably has known for years – good job!
- tracit
  
  Also, I see no reason why they had to suspend him to do an “investigation.”
Fred Mangels

Wow! And I thought it was just problem kids like me that got sent to the principal’s office.
lorimakesquilts

Nothing like confirming the validity of his comparison.
Alyssa Kenney

I unfortunately agree with Mr. Navarro. These are perilous times to be a teacher. It is a shame one ignorant, self serving parent had to make a fuss about a harmless lesson. I, actually, think the lesson sounds fascinating. I would have loved to have heard it. Administration cower to uneducated parents too often today instead of trusting the educated professionals, the teachers. Best wishes, sir.
- Jeremiah
  
  Did he present both sides–how they are different?
  Did he present the similarities of Hitler and Hillary?
annjohns

If parents could have a live video feed from their kids classrooms they would see both the agenda pushing teachers (making a comparison between HItler and Trump is NOT critical thinking unless you also dispute the comparison) and the students that are so disruptive ( usually just a few but now precluded from suspension, expulsion or even being removed from the classroom under the current State Board) and then perhaps they would decide to get more involved in the process of fixing our failing schools before its too damned late!
- Jeremiah
  
  Thank you!
Denis Ian

Mister Supposed Super Teacher … stop with your ideological crap. You’re paid to teach … not indoctrinate. There’s a new reality … get used it … in retirement.

Here are the new rules …

Hold an educational exorcism … and run any indoctrinating madness out of our schools. For good.

Restore classroom integrity and demand the return of the unbiased teacher.

And while teachers have the right to organize, they have no right to organize our youngsters in any mission on their ideological behalf.

Insist on the renewal of the open mind, and that it be nurtured without prejudice.

Hold school leaders to a doctrine of common sense over all else.

Make schools once again answerable to every parent … not just some cadre of the noisy or some activist entourage of the pushy who view schools as their socio-political platform which services their own self-approved bigotry.

Promise that there will be unserious joy in every day.

Command that every adult commit to a vow that childhood be honored.

Order that laughter and kindness hold as much importance as any learning objective … because lives without softness and smiles are hollow. And sad.

This is the new order of things. You have a social agenda … build your wn soap box and see how many people gather around.

~Denis Ian~
- Indiayque
  
  Schools have always indoctrinated. That’s how students get socialized, acculturated and assimilated. I don’t ever remember getting the Indigenous perspective of U.S. History and manifest destiny. “If you don’t know history’s mistakes, you are bound to repeat them” ~ Santayana
- Mashup Hack
  
  I am sure it would be no problem if it supported your ideology. We are all hypocrites in the end.
  
  Teachers are not robots. They are humans with passions and points of view like everyone. That is what endures students to their teacher and why someone like Navarro has made a huge impact in kids lives.
  
  I think being able to bring current events and compare to historical ones makes learning more relevant as it engages us in a critical exercise in understanding how history is repeatable.
  
  Like it or not there are enough similarities between Hitler and the Nazis rise in Germany to Trumps rhetoric in the election that doing a comparison is not that far of a stretch. History will show us if it was actually correct. I am assuming all of us hope it is not. Except for the Nazis that did support Trump of course. That he had such strong support amongst this group means there was something that resonsated with this group.
- Ruth Kemalyan Weis
  
  Wow. That sort of sounds like “Make Education Great Again.” Command! Order! Insist! All the imperatives here make it hard to imagine your ideas about education will foster softness and smiles. You indicate a desire for minds to be opened; at the high school level, young minds need to also be prepared to think about many hard and unhappy aspects of life – past and present. Actually, once those minds are open (as you want to insist upon) it’s important that they are guided by people with real credentials – not just state issued teaching credentials, but the credentials of wisdom and perspective and focus. Helping high school students come to terms with the realities of the world in which they will be participating as adults is not something that every teacher is able to do well. Were I in the shoes of the unhappy parents, I would listen to the comments of Mr. Navarro’s former students. It sounds as though at least some of them have, thanks to Mr. N., carried valuable thinking skills into adulthood.
H. Morgan, MVHS class of 1990.

Thank you Mr. Navarro, it was your world studies class that encouraged me and other freshman in 1986 to think critically and more importantly look at the world with curiosity, not condemnation. The day you assigned us to read Eli Wiesel’s book “Night,” I read it, and finished it within hours, maybe while sitting on the bus on my way home. It is MVHS, and the district’s loss… but the best gift about teaching is knowing your students remember your lessons, your wisdom and carry it through from adolescence into adulthood. Thank you!
John P Molloy

A history teacher smells “Nazi” and gets canned for speaking about it. Find those WMDs yet?
jskdn

I wish more of the nation could become aware of the support from the left for comparing Trump to Hitler that is being demonstrated here. Trump is loaded with faults but if comparing him to the ultimate exemplar of evil isn’t seen as over the top, then I see little hope of political reconciliation in the nation.
- Mashup Hack
  
  Unfortunately proponents of Nazism in America have found him enduring. Let’s hope the Trump from the campaign is not the one we get in the White House. Most of us want to heal the nation, but some of Trumps divisive cabinet picks are not going to make it easy.
- Dr. Claw
  
  I wish more of the nation could realize that Trump is a con man, who enables the worst of America’s worst .However, those who support him, and complain about “the left” have proven to be completely incapable of doing anything but holding their ears and closing their eyes while those who may as well be today’s equivalent to Nazis celebrate Trump’s rise.
  
  Political reconciliation isn’t the answer during these times; political resistance is. Wherever it may live.
SophiaE

Mr. Navarro, I implore you to stay. The school, the profession, and the area need you.
Duzer

He was compared to S. AFRICA’s President to a T. by Trevor Noah on daily show. All things Trump has said was said by leader of S. A.
- Duzer
  
  Even being rich and family making money managing his business
Juanita

A Parent nearly got him fired by mostly lying about his message. I’m glad he wasn’t fired, that would have been a shameful reaction from the school. It would fill me with more pride towards him if he had the strength to ride out this difficult time. Everyone is so afraid, we need our leaders and roll models to be fearless.
ammerique

Call them. 650-940-4650, option 6, you get an administrative person’s voicemail but someone has to listen to all of them and give the messages to Jeff Harding. Let’s do what we can to oust this fascist supporter.
ObamasGoodTwin

Sounds like they did a good job of weeding out a bad apple.
Dennis

This is just the beginning of censorship by this incoming horrid administration. He’s already met with news broadcasters and read them the riot act because they didn’t support him. Beware the evil comes.
Academics in Asia

Here’s the link to the petition: https://www.change.org/p/david-grissom-principal-david-grissom-reverse-mr-navarro-s-administrative-leave-now
lausdteacher

Thank you Mr. Navarro from one teacher to another. You have to wonder why the elites are so threatened by teachers. In fact there is plenty of evidence to make comparisons between Trump (and Bush and Obama to some extent -he tried to imprison a NYT reporter) and authoritarianism. The evidence is in Naomi Wolfe’s 2007 book The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot in which she lays out a ton of evidence about how the Founders feared someone like Trump and what they tried to do about it.
Paula Aiello

As a former social studies and English teacher, as an attorney, as a citizen concerned about our country, I SUPPORT YOU, FRANK!! Thanks for teaching the truth. “In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
- Timco2
  
  What truth are you referring to? That Trump is Hitler? Maybe teaching that Hitler relied on populist arguments and criticism of the Weimar Republic? OK, I can see that. Trump relied on populist arguments too, but so did Bernie Sanders. So did other candidates in U.S. history. What’s your point?
  - LauraAkers
    
    My point would be that Sanders didn’t threaten those who disagreed with him nor encourage others to commit violence against them.
    
    Hitler and Trump both did.
Francie Garneau

I am saddened by the lack of respect your principal showed you by taking the word of a parent who received second hand information. I totally agree with the comparison between Hitler and Trump and wish I knew how to stop his power. I agree that you need to stay and continue being a voice of truth for your youngsters. I suggest you video/audio tape the remainder of your classes and keep doing what you do so well. I congratulate you for you dedication to proper education.
Cammy

Dear Mr. Navarro, if it brings you any peace, I know someone who was forced into the Hitler Youth as a child or his parents would be arrested. His teacher secretly made fun of the Nazis, and who knows if he was arrested. He managed to get an education in the mid-west after the war, because the US Government had an education program for teenagers.

I asked him about Trump. “You know,” he said. “He sounds so much like Hitler. Everything.”

You tell that to the school district. Shame on them.
Maria Arciga-Morales

This is outrageous. Mr. Navarro can count with my support to continue teaching against ignorance and intolerance. Hope people fight for his stay.
timepilot84

Keep’em dumb. Trump. That’s your only strategy.
Maya Eman Ghanma

What happened to “freedom of speech”? I bet the parent (practicing his freedom of speech) is someone who works in one of the big companies and donated some money to have this much power to override the way the teacher teach. Another dogmatic parent just like the one who wanted to to remove the word “God” from our national anthem.
April Piazza

As Voltaire said, “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.”

Mr. Navarro, you are a hero for speaking freely and not allowing anyone to deter you from criticizing those in positions of power. You would deserve more after any length of time in your position, but yes, after 40 years, you deserve much, much more. Know there are many people who support you and are absolutely disgusted with Mountain View’s tacky, cowardly decision.
Kendall Carlile

No, you deserve what you’re getting. When you endocrinate young minds with false history, you pay the price. A young Adolf Hitlery fought on the front lines of WW I became infatuated with humiliating facts of his Fatherland of Germany losing that war, became enraged by that, started a Nationalist Party with murder to avenge his fury over Germany signing the treaty at Versailles. Now HOW IN THE F$#K does that compare with Trump?? I’m sorry Sir, it appears you had a wonderful and distinguished career, but when you teach false history in the name of hate to young minds, you pay a price. My suggestion is he keep his job with a STERN warning to know history, before teaching to promote your own agenda.
- Dr. Claw
  
  Yeah, you’re butthurt over someone daring to draw the parallel, regardless of the details. We do not know exactly what the complaint might have been, nor were we party to whatever was being taught. However, by your comment, it appears you may have taken offense like that ever-so-fragile parent who emailed the ever-so-timid school board.
  
  This is the world we live in; having to coddle the “easily cracked” eggs.
  - Kendall Carlile
    
    Rewriting history inaccurately to push your political beliefs and agenda is dangerous and must be called out and stopped immediately, no matter who’s doing it.
    - Sean Kumar Sinha
      
      Trump used similar campaign rhetoric to Hitler to get people to support and get behind him, which was the part of history that Mr. Navarro was trying to educate on. Hitler promised to bring back jobs to Germany and get rid of the people making the country bad. That’s what Trump’s platform was. Build a wall and Make America Great Again. Where’s the disconnect or misinformation you speak of?
      - Kendall Carlile
        
        Every single Presidential candidate since FDR (including Hillary) promised job creation and making the Country better… so I guess they’re all like Hitler… comical
Raymond McIntyre

Typical fear of rocking the boat. All education administrators should, I think, be considered guilty until proven innocent.
Phil Lozano

This is why we as a people keep repeating the same mistakes, we never teach our children history. All we brainwash them is how great this country is without explaining the true history. Come to think of it, we only became economically great after WW 2 when the whole world was devastated.
johnnycoyo

Perhaps the possible recall or impeachment of the Jeff Harding should be considered ? It is clear that in this case Harding demonstrated a severe lack of good judgement and good sense. Actions impelled fear are no way to model behavior in our public schools ! His complete disregard for an outstanding teacher because of an inference from an unhappy parent based on the grumbling of his child … it is HE who should be suspended pending an investigation !
NativeSon

Actually, Hitler would have a lot more in common with today’s democrat Party then with President elect Trump. He’d fit right in with the hardcore, democrat statist.
hollywoodjeff

It unfortunately fairly standard practice for public school officials to throw teachers under the bus at the first sign of any criticism of a teacher from a parent, regardless of how much that teacher has contributed to the community. At my local high school when students asked me about the presidential election I told one and all that the American people had been given the worse choices in their history and that I would not vote for either one of them. For those who asked who I would vote for I told them Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka.
g bum

A fellow teacher here and I give you my 100% support. The cowardice and lack of protecting teachers from your school’s administration is abhorrent and those people really ought to think to themselves why they are in the job they are in in the first place. I consider such people the lowest bracket of educators and make a laughingstock out of the teaching field. Harding should be on permanent leave.

Frank, if I could, I’d put you in a classroom with as many students as I could fit, immediately. A teacher of your caliber should not go a day without students.
Daphne Maddox

This situation needs to be fixed.

Oddly enough, I just started watching this lecture series on the subject yesterday. History of Hitlers Empire 2nd Edition
https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/a-history-of-hitlers-empire-2nd-edition

So far, so educational. Highly recommend. The best way to beat the rhyme of history is to interrupt its rhythm before it gains traction.
I think we’re already running late on that, but no time like the present.
Mary Finnerty

I am appalled at this treatment of such a fine educator. We need people like him to teach students to think and question.
billwalker

I grew up in the 1930s. I too, have noticed the similarity of Trump to Hitler.
Adrian M. Kleinbergen

Just a political move in a region where Trump popularity may be high. The principal and school board execs seem a lot more timid than where I live, if it only takes one angry parent to make them fire a veteran teacher over making truthful historical comparisons. Navarro wasn’t allowed to see the accusing email so there may have been political threats that they didn’t want him to see. It’s an unpleasant mess in the Age of Trump.
- Jeremiah
  
  This is a very blue area, and in case you weren’t aware, the last 8 years, including today through January, are in your self-proclaimed mess of the age of Obama (you know, the current president and the president of the last 7+ years?
Sasha

Schools should stop letting complaining assholes dictate who they hire and fire. Schools and EVERYONE else should stop complaining assholes where they stand. Cut them right off. If you give them a voice, they will use it to get their way. Let them sue, who cares? They wont get far and will waste their money and time when these idiotic cases are dismissed. F them.
Kendall Carlile

It is terrifying, we do in fact have a political party that has some frightening tendencies that mirror the Nazi’s:

Take over of the media
Take over public education and endocrinate young people
Take over the central bank
Cause destruction and riots
Regulate and seize firearms

YES, it’s something we should be aware of and teach…

UNFORTUNATELY IT’S **NOT** THE REPUBLICAN PARTY !!!!

Do the math and teach REAL history Sir.
- Dr. Claw
  
  This is a pathetic attempt, not to mention a completely historically inaccurate one, even if you consider recent history. Furthermore, it’s spelled “indoctrinate”.
  - Kendall Carlile
    
    Do tell, how is it inaccurate??? What’s inaccurate is comparing Donald Trump to the rise of Hitler 1919-1933.. you have got to be a historical moron to even compare, because there aren’t any similarities
D. Devine

His telling the truth is both admirable and brave at this very dark time in American History. I wish him well and hope his future is bright.
Freddie Tuks

Dear Mr. Navarro,
For a man who’s taught history for 40 years, it would be ironic if you let this one incident and the naïveté of a parent & school administrator let you stop doing what you do best. Isn’t this exactly the time we need people like you influencing young hearts and minds of this country? Im sure 98% of your students & their parents want you to stay on… Why not focus on them?
Boudicca

Please keep teaching! Will you please have someone video your lesson and put it on YouTube? I really want to see it. “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
anth55

One hate mail can end a career
JayTaber

When
we helped defeat the Aryan Nations/Minutemen/Christian Patriot militias
in the 1990s, the key to community organizing across five Northwest
states was the marriage of anti-fascist researchers with networks of
religious leaders devoted to respecting cultural diversity. Churches and
synagogues were our educational meeting places, and provided the
nucleus of leadership in the human rights task forces established in
response to white supremacy violence targeting American Indians, LGBTs,
Blacks and Jews.

We
helped shut down a hate radio station in Montana, and gathered evidence
that led to the conviction of seven Christian Patriots in U.S. District
Court in Seattle. These primary documents created a larger context of
history that serves as the basis for informed opinion based on
knowledge.

Our
researchers set up a monitoring network to share information and
intelligence on white supremacist organizing, that was used by major
educational institutions and news outlets in making sense of right-wing
paramilitary terrorism in the US. You can read more about this history in the Public Good Archives.
Theodore (Tugs) Njáll McCowan

Fascist governments have ALWAYS targeted education. Thats is a historical fact,
thinkboy

To me this election demonstrates more than ever the critical importance of a broad balanced high quality education to the workings of our country. Especially troubling is the recent nomination of Betsy DeVos .. instead of building educated, qualified workforce needed in the future, she will likely push privatization and self-oversight, enriching the few over the need of the USA.
Demonicego

In order for someone like Hitler to succeed, he needs to have a large majority of people behind him to cement the power and hold required to commit atrocities and get away with it. The popular vote totals prove that couldn’t happen here, no one has those types of numbers or hold.
Terry Mulios

Don’t make comparisons and state them as fact when it is your opinion. If it was comparing Obama to Hilter he would have been fired immediately. Double standard as usual – hypocrites!
Hype

This is incredibly absurd. It’s undeniable that there are parallels between Trump’s run and Hitler’s rise to power, which is not to deny that the historical contexts and outcomes are radically different. Much of America’s propaganda/public relations industry was born out of Nazi Germany’s master of the topic. Are we to deny this parallel as well? This is small minded thinking and anti-educational on the part of Los Altos High School District Superintendent Jeff Harding. He not only should be ashamed, he would do himself some service as an “educator” by reading a bit of history.
Umar Bari

Please don’t leave sir. Critical analysis is one of the most effective teaching tools a teacher has. Bullying parents should be held accountable as well. Take them to court make them divulge the contents of the letter. That should it. Then the parents should be taken to court for slander.
Charles Scott

Another person fighting to keep their children as ignorant as they are…once again facts lose to close mindedness

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A 40-Year Teaching Career Ending After Trump/Hitler Comparison in Mountain View

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