Teaching Bans and Curriculum Restrictions

In the context of the increasing number of states imposing restrictions on teaching and classroom content, and given the pressure that many schools and teachers are receiving from a small number of parents about curriculum, I have been thinking a lot about the responsibility we all share for supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools and school curriculum.

There’s great benefit to all of us consistently speaking up proactively and non-defensively about some important and indisputable facts:

  • Students of today are more diverse than ever.
  • Students are directly impacted by the significant issues of our times.
  • Students are harmed by non-inclusive educational environments, by lack of representation, and by gaps and omissions in educational content.
  • Students benefit from inclusive education and from thoughtfully taught honest history and current events.
  • Prohibiting legitimate educational content has legal implications.
  • Teachers know how to teach.
  • Students want to learn.
  • Students want to make a difference – and are making a difference!

I will be using this page as a place to expand on each of those statements, linking where I can to research, statistics, and articles.  My goal is to provide at least a few useful resources in each area for continuing to explore the topics.

This will be an ongoing project, so content will be added fairly regularly  If you have suggestions for links to include below in any of the sections, please let me know.  Thank you!!

Students of today are more diverse than ever

In every imaginable way, students and families are more diverse than ever.  There is no “norm” or “average” or “typical” student or family or life experience.  So it’s not “controversial” to have classroom content, curriculum, and conversations that reflect the full range of diversity of student experiences.  It’s only controversial not to.

Students are directly impacted by the significant issues of our time.

Kids experience in their daily life the significant issues of our time.  When teachers are required to avoid “controversial” topics, they are being required to deny the reality of their students’ lives.

Students are harmed by non-inclusive educational environments, by lack of representation, and by gaps and omissions in educational content.

Non-inclusive settings and lack of representation harm students emotionally, physically, socially, and academically.  Curriculum gaps and omissions prevent topic mastery and accurate understanding.  They also mean fewer opportunities for skill development including problem-solving and critical thinking

Students benefit from inclusive education and from thoughtfully taught honest history and current events.

Students are empowered by inclusive and supportive education that incorporates accurate, age-appropriate, and non-traumatic instruction and discussion of historical and current events. They develop academically, socially, and emotionally. They gain self confidence, empathy, problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, depth of knowledge, and civic engagement and community participation skills.

Prohibiting legitimate educational content has legal implications.

Teachers know how to teach.

Teachers are trained in teaching methods.  They know how to support student growth and learning even when teaching challenging topics. Teaching is their career and their passion. Trust them to teach, and let them!

Longstanding laws and policies already require that classroom instruction and discussion be curriculum-based, age-appropriate, and informational.  Teachers are aware of this and teach within these guidelines.  They also follow a code of ethics.

Students want to learn.

Students are curious and capable and want to understand.  Education helps them learn to gather, process, assess, and use information, and to think critically, creatively, and independently.

Students want to make a difference – and are making a difference!

Students are fully aware of the world around them, and they are actively working to make a positive difference.