When you look at Andre Ponder’s twitter, you see a man that is quite proud of having a politician in his district. Behind the photo, lies the unflattering truth. It was not a civic event for the students to engage in at all.

Planted in the High School Library, were specially selected students, sitting at stations that didn’t function at all, or had extension cords plugged into extension cords to give the Congressman the false impression that Andre Ponder actually completed something. They sat there, doing exactly what they were told to do and nothing more.

The questions for the entire event were hand selected by Andre Ponder himself. Students had to submit questions only to have Andre Ponder decide what questions would be asked and under what conditions. That does not seem like civic engagement to me. Civic engagement gives students some flexibility to ask hard questions whether the answer is good, or bad. The equivalent of a teleprompter in a staged photo opportunity for himself, is far from what these students needed.

Most people would be appalled that a school would invite politicians, stage them like clever props in a non-functioning area, and then force them to ask questions that built up the ego of a Superintendent. When I was in school, we were allowed to ask respectful questions, even if it put a politician in a tough spot.

The Tinder Swindler of Superintendents struck again.