NEW YORK, March 7 (Xinhua) — The cultural divisions in the United States have made their way into schools across the country in recent years, causing many teachers to say they feel policed and fearful, reported News and Tribune on Monday.
Political attacks on public school educators are driving people away from the profession of public education, Laura Boyce, executive director of Teach Plus Pennsylvania, an advocacy group for developing leaders in education, was quoted as saying.
Most teachers continue in the profession because they\’re doing work that they believe in, Boyce said. But those same teachers can be accused of grooming children when fostering an inclusive environment, or are being challenged and denied the ability to teach history with details both accurate and uncomfortable, she said.
Boyce said some lawmakers have capitalized on political tensions in the field of education as they seek to restrict what teachers can teach and open up how involved parents can be.
\”It absolutely affects how the profession is viewed,\” Boyce said. \”I hope we don\’t have to find out — because teachers continue to resign at higher levels and the crisis continues to get worse — and we have to find out the hard way the consequences of these actions.\”
According to Education Week, lawmakers in nearly 20 states have implemented legislation or restrictions that limit how teachers can discuss race topics since 2021, the report said.