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NEA Legal & Employment Guidance

Educator Rights to Create an Inclusive Classroom

Educators often use decorations to set the tone for their classrooms, school buses, lunchrooms, and other workspaces.
a black girl hangs a poster with a rainbow that says love on it
Published: April 5, 2023
This resource originally appeared on NEA.org

Educators often use decorations to set the tone for their classrooms, school buses, lunchrooms, and other workspaces. You can use your work environment to show support for students of all backgrounds—for example, by hanging a Black Lives Matter poster or Pride flag or making clear that you will use a student’s personal gender pronouns.

However, schools can control these messages, which are on school property and part of a teacher’s job. And displays that include religious, political, or controversial messages raise particular concerns and you should not post them unless there is a clear district policy allowing those or similar displays.

“When someone doesn’t learn about LGBTQ topics in school, they’re not going to think of this community as a common, expected part of society—and this goes on to form their ideas of what’s socially acceptable.”  

—Samuel Long, a Denver high school teacher

This page is intended to provide general information. For specific advice, you should always contact your local union or attorney. 

Speak Up For Students and Public Schools

When we act together and lift our voices together in unison, we can improve the lives of children.
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The SCEA is an affiliate of the largest professional association of educators in the country. As the leading advocate for the schools South Carolina students deserve, The SCEA works to promote quality public education and to support public school employees.