Honesty in Education

No matter our color, background, or zip code, we want our kids to have an education that imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and courage to do what’s right. But some politicians are using the dog whistle strategy of distraction and division – trying to dictate what teachers say and block kids from learning our shared stories of confronting injustice to build a more perfect union.

Certain politicians continue to try to consolidate power by stoking fear and mischaracterizing what is taught in schools—introducing policies and legislation that limit the ways that teachers can discuss race, gender, and sexual orientation.

These new rules often come with subjective, eye-of-the-beholder language, such as “divisive concepts” or “inappropriate content,” and offer educators little to no guidance. It’s intentional, too, says Paul Castillo, senior counsel and students' rights strategist for Lambda Legal.

“Proponents of these bills … don't want to give any sort of guidance, hoping that the vagueness of the law itself will cause administrators, teachers, and faculty—under the threat of possible litigation from parents—to roll back any discussion that is permissible in classroom by students to talk about themselves [and] … their families.”