It’s not exactly about “allowing” or “censoring”… it’s more that for every thought a teenager has, some moron out there has a personal campaign to prevent kids from thinking it. Nobody “censors” textbooks; they just don’t buy them. But I digress.
I would love to write a sample essay for “High School Students Should Not Get In Trouble for Speaking Cuss Words”
Yes, I do; thank you! Was this an in-mall theater or a self-contained one?
I realize that. Your list of what’s not allowed was pretty all-encompassing, though. If I were a teacher I’d probably get in trouble for using my own topics that would piss somebody off!
Sorry – I realize you realize – it’s a hobbyhorse of mine. (Diane Ravitch can kiss my… donkey.) There’s a strong popular perception that textbooks are censored, and us poor little corporate textbook companies get yelled at for it, but no one offers funding for a not-for-profit alternative. Meanwhile, states pass laws that textbooks must meet certain standards if the state is to buy them, and then change the freakin’ standards without notice, often just after the books have been printed.
Yeah. Well over half of all 6-12 textbooks are bought by California, Texas, and Florida; whichever special-interest group is the worst pain in those states’ DoEd’s behinds gets to have way too much to say about books. Plus, they cover the whole spectrum – what’s verboten in Texas might be all but required in California, and vice versa.
But I’m not bitter!
Frankly, I think a worse result (than censorship) of all those restrictions might be that books come out stone-cold boring. So I try to work in something allowable but interesting whenever I can.
I worked for a company that wrote the Iowa Skills Tests, and I know what you mean by “no controversy.” I have to wonder exactly what it is they want the students to come away with.
Anyhoo, topics:
Should teenagers work part time while going to school?
What could your school do to make a positive impact on Earth Day?
Will computers eventually eliminate the need for traditional books?
This is hard!
Hmmm I wonder whether nuclear weapons might not be allowed as a topic.
Global warming? (I mean I somehow think both of those issues will still be around in five years or so).
How about capital punishment?
Oh, to hell with it - one that always gets a LONG discussion going on SDMB is the idea of de-clawing cats. 
Oh dear, I think I sounded snarky, but I did not mean to. Sorry. 
I do think you job sounds interesting, but my goodness, so many restrictions! It must be quite a challenge to find the right topics.
Of course, when I remembered the ferocity with which I see cats being discussed here, well, serious thought gave way to amusement, I’m afraid.
How about gun control? Oh dear, I bet the parents have strong views on that too. Yeah, back to the cats, methinks.
Or hamsters are nicer than gerbils. Discuss.
(I’m dying to see what topics you DO get to use, actually).
When I was in the testing biz, we had to remove references to driveways because impoverished rural kids wouldn’t know what one was. I shit you not.
The school day should be lengthened and go from 0800 to 1700, with more academic classes required. Yes or No.
School uniforms should be mandatory. Yes or No.
Scoring 600 or above on each segment of the SAT test should be a prerequisite for graduation. Yes or No.
High school team sports should be abolished and replaced with academic courses. Yes or No.
No snark taken 
The one my boss approved for today – I need one immediately for eighth graders – is “Teachers Should Play Music During Classwork.” Our office just heard about a study at… Harvard? I have to look this up – showing with MRIs that today’s kids really can multitask, e.g. competently do homework while wearing a blasting iPod, whilst us old fogeys really can’t. They hypothesize that our brains wire themselves to whatever level of multitasking we grow up with. I’ll cite later if I find the study.
However, I kept a list of all the SD suggestions so far, which my boss very much liked and specifically requested I keep for future reference.
I will continue to take any suggestions! Thank you!
Some variation on longer classes or a longer school year is definitely on the list.
I do especially look out for topics that “emerging writers” (we used to say “kids who hate to write”) will get excited about, especially topics that don’t divide kids into overacheiver/underacheiver camps. That is to say, topics not arguing for or against more schoolwork!
We use this one, and it is hands down our most popular persuasive prompt for middle-schoolers.
Interesting. I think someone around here is drafting “Exit Exams Should Be a Graduation Requirement.” We might not be able to use SAT 'cause it’s a brand - ETS is non-profit but has some profitable subdivisions or sister corporations or whatever you’d say.
Oh yes. Or maybe some variation on “No school budget money should support football.” We currently have “What are the pros and cons of school team activities?” which gets moderate use.
How about something like “What elective class/subject* not currently offered at your school would you like to see added to the curriculum and why would it benefit the students?”
*Could also be sports team, academic or social club, extracurricular activity or some other activity
Maybe. Do kids these days worry about nukes? I know we did back when I was an eighth grader, but that was when the nominal Evil was the Empire rather than the Axis.
They’ll be around, but will anyone seriously argue against the fact of global warming? I mean, now that Hell froze over and even W. earns points for admitting it? You could argue what we should do about it, but most kids know nothing about corporate responsibility, economic impact, etc. and wouldn’t have anything to go on but “We should fix it.” You could argue about how serious the effects will be, but that gets into heavy science… help me out here. Is there a workable teen angle on global warming? Anyone?
I may try to fly this. I may be told it gets too close to religion or partisan politics, though certainly no particular religion or party has a monopoly on either pro or con. In general, though, subjects that get adults in a tizzy often seem to leave your average 13-year-old cold.
Word. Fo shizzle. 
(See how I integrate that “teen-speak” into a conversation so seamlessly? Ladies and gentlemen, I’m a trained expert! Don’t try this at home!)
Test writing is even more restricted than textbook writing. You’re not allowed to upset the little buggers, lest they experience emotional trauma, interfering with their true abilities on test day. It’s tough to anticipate all the things that could potentially upset a teenager. Even their parents have trouble doing that, I’m told.
I think this has potential, especially if worded to encourage non-scholarly choices. Hmmn…
Umm…it’s in a sort of outdoor shopping area, although the theater itself is inside a building. Anyway, here’s the policy: cite.
I beleive essays are also a tool to force students to evaluate and justify their attitudes…hopefully learning something about themselves
So how about…
How about an old chestnut:
Movies 10 in Rochester NY bans unaccompanied kids under 17 after 5 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s a stand alone theater.
Here’s a story on a mall where unaccompanied kids are kicked out every day after 5 pm. It also mentions some other malls that have similar rules.