New laws compromise educators’ ability to support students.

As controversial laws mandate that schools hang the Ten Commandments and roll back protections for LGBTQ+ students, teachers feel their hands are tied when it comes to supporting vulnerable students. 

  • “Started in service today at my school. It has happened, we had slides directing us that we have to hang the Ten Commandments in our classrooms by Thursday. In addition Anti-Communism TEKS have been added to our history curriculum and our school district cannot sponsor any student clubs based on gender identity or sexual orientation, and we cannot call students by any names but the names on their birth certificate. —Teacher in Texas 
    • “I cringed hard when they announced this at our staff meeting. The principal said they will make the signs, and emphasized it will be in cursive. And everyone has to put it up on their door. In each freaking classroom. I asked if they expect us to explain the commandments to the students, and they said no – leave that up to the parents to do the educating on that part. Absolutely no one was happy about it, but loved the malicious compliance. I am going to be putting mine on the very bottom of the door, and make the whole door with a rainbow theme.” —Teacher in Texas
    • “So we can’t explain to children that some people are gay, but I have to explain to kindergarteners what ‘coveting thy neighbor’s wife’ means? Ok…” —Teacher in Texas
    • “Don’t do it, seriously. I’m sorry your admin isn’t shielding you from this. Teachers are now on the front lines in some pretty major civil rights battles, don’t back down.” —Teacher in the United States
  • “It is really really difficult right now to focus on the learning/classroom with all else going on in education that is absolutely disgusting in terms of the short-term and long-term consequences for children.” —High School Teacher in Oregon
  • “My tiny pride flag, the only LGBTQ+ item in my room, didn’t even make it to the first day of school before someone complained. The principal told me to take it down, despite being the GSA advisor and having a flag like this on my desk for the last ten years.” —Teacher in the United States
    • “I genuinely mourn for anyone who teaches in a red state. I don’t know how you do this job every day.” —Anonymous
      • “Honestly, though, the blue states are becoming redder. On Long Island, the conservatives from NYC have emigrated out to the island and spread the red to the bluer areas. The conservatives who have already lived here have felt emboldened in recent years. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if this happened in one of our schools in NY.” —Teacher in New York
    • “I feel this in my bones. I teach virtually in Florida and am being forced to deadname a student all year this year because their parent doesn’t consent to calling them their preferred name and watches all the recordings. I objected strongly and was reminded that this is fact, the law in Florida. I would have to break the law to call this student by their chosen name and risk losing my job and license.” —Teacher in Florida
    • “My school won’t even let us have a GSA.” —Teacher in Virginia