VOORHEESVILLE – Last Monday, 92 students from four Voorheesville fourth-grade classrooms got up-close and personal with presidential politics.

The students, who were accompanied by fourth-grade teachers, elementary-school Principal Kenneth Lein, and about 15 chaperones, attended the rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on the Capitol steps in Albany, where Governor Eliot Spitzer announced he would endorse her. Clinton also received endorsement from Senator Chuck Schumer, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, and other Democratic state and federal legislators from around the Capital Region.

Some parents have expressed concerns that children were part of a partisan political event.
"Making education relevant and getting students engaged is something we strive for everyday," Lein told The Enterprise this week. The rally was relevant to the curriculum the children have been studying, Lein said, "They’ve been discussing what it takes to become President in this day and age.
"We thought it was an opportunity for them to really see and understand what goes on," he said of the campaign process.
The day was beautiful and sunny, and there were "plenty of people" energy" and lots of cheering," Lein said of the rally. "Certainly, it was an energizing afternoon," he said, adding that he doesn’t think, "we changed any ideological thinking" among the students.

Three or four students did not attend, Lein said, but stayed behind and worked on some class projects with a computer teacher.
Just like any other class trip, students were allowed to attend if a permission slip was signed by a parent and brought back to the school, he said. Lein said that the "fourth-grade team" of teachers – Michael Burns, Pamela Hamlin, Timothy Mattison, and Scott Murray – drafted the permission slip, and then brought it to him for approval.

None of the four teachers returned calls for comment.
"It did not specifically mention it was an endorsement for President," Lein said of the permission slip. "I believe it could have been more explicit and transparent than it was," he said, adding that, if he could do it again, he would be sure it was clearer.
Principal Lein has spoken to two parents, he said, who had concerns about the trip. "The main concern was just that it was a political event representing one side," Lein said.
"We were very careful and sensitive to not make this about the Democrats," he said, adding that the teachers each spent a good amount of time back in the classroom discussing that, in the United States, "we have opposing viewpoints and are allowed to express them."
The children had a "good reaction" to the event, Lein said. The students, he said, "Got an idea of what it takes and what goes into running for office."
They were able to understand that, in the 21st Century, being elected President is more than being at least 35 years old and born in the United States, he said, "It takes a great deal of money and endorsements.
"The fourth-grade team came to me and discussed the opportunity," he said of how the idea to attend the rally transpired. "We thought it was a good opportunity to make learning relevant" For the kids to be there and live it."
The decision to allow the trip to the political rally, Lein said, was a difficult one. "It’s not an easy decision, but in the end, we thought it was a good educational experience," he said. "It would have been very easy to say, No, we’re not going" We saw good, solid reasons to do it."
Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani visited the Capital Region this week, Lein said, and, had his visit been earlier in the day,"We could’ve seen the other side.
"The teachers did a great job of keeping it in perspective," he said. "We did our best, I thought, to be careful about how it was presented," Lein said.
"It was sort of an exciting day, but for most of the kids, it’s probably behind them already," Lein said. "Now we’re talking about women’s rights and the right to vote in social studies."