Even in states and districts that have not restricted the teaching of race and gender, bans enacted elsewhere are having a chilling effect on what educators cover in their classrooms, according to a new survey.
Among the startling revelations is that 55% of teachers who were not subject to any bans still avoided covering political and social issues with their students, according to research released by the RAND Corporation this week.
“Our findings raise the possibility that teachers are shying away from instruction about political and social issues even in places where many parents and community members are likely to support or even desire such instruction,” the reports’ authors write.
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Between April 2021 and January 2023, 18 states passed curriculum restrictions, often targeting race, gender and controversial current events. A number of the new laws were enacted under the label of “parents’ rights.”
In another finding that may trouble superintendents, teachers said they censored themselves for fear of angering parents and because they were uncertain whether they would get support from school and district leaders. These teachers also cited a lack of guidance from their administrators.
The survey also found:
- Two-thirds of teachers have decided on their own to limit instruction about political and social issues.
- About one-third of teachers work in one of the 18 states that have restricted instruction but about half said they are subject to state restrictions, local restrictions set by school or district leaders, or both.
- More than 80% of teachers who work under local restrictions decided to limit classroom discussions about political and social issues.
