This week’s evidence comes from the New York Times about a topic of central concern for many teachers, administrators, and board members – constraints on what is taught in schools. While the incoming Administration has vowed to install a “patriotic” curriculum, only 25% of teachers have engaged in censorship. This is a refreshing bit of good news, particularly after my experience in Florida where the word “Equity” was excised from the posters advertising my presentation. History has been at the center of the controversy, and mandates to teach Biblical principles have been widely ignored, even in deep red states such as Oklahoma and Texas. History classes are an ideal context for teaching critical thinking and original source documents. The teachers cited in the report said that engaging in debate and divergent thinking do not undermine patriotism and belief in the American ideal but rather make them more likely to embrace the ideal of a diverse society.
I know that many teachers are reluctant to engage in any controversy, from the conflicts in the Middle East to the history of racism, sexism, and other forms of bias. Moreover, in Florida, classroom libraries have been obliterated based on the state’s mandates to monitor and supervise student access to books. If there is a silver lining to that story, it is that the surest way to get students to read something is to ban it. There are many courageous teachers out there who are creating curriculum without state supervision – having students read the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and other original source documents.
While I know many people are concerned about federal and state interventions in education, the future belongs not to bureaucrats but to great teachers and curious students. Here’s the link to the article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/us/public-school-curriculum-freedom-political-pressure.html