National Survey Finds Teacher Shortage Crisis Exacerbated By Censorship In Classrooms

A new national survey released last week highlights how laws seeking to censor issues of race, gender or other topics in the classroom are adding to the list of reasons teachers are leaving the profession. 

This comes as Republican state legislations across the country, including North Carolina, are pushing to censor teachers from educating students on the truth of our history. These same legislators have spent decades ignoring crumbling school infrastructures, inadequately funding public schools and approving stingy pay increases – prompting a wave of teachers leaving the state due to low pay.

• The survey, conducted by education-equity advocacy nonprofit Stand for Children, found that 3 in 10 teachers are considering leaving the profession at the end of this school year, and more than a third of the 2,000 K–12 educators surveyed cited as a reason new state laws restricting classroom discussions on race, gender, and sexuality.
  

• 37% of teachers surveyed say a push for laws that prevent honest teaching and conversations in their classrooms would make them more likely to leave teaching at the end of this school year.
  
• “These bans undermine the very promise of America, a nation built on the belief of the open exchange of ideas, and are pushing teachers to leave the profession in droves,”  stated Jonah Edelman, Executive Officer at Stand for Children, in a press release. “This should alarm every parent concerned about their children’s ability to recover from the pandemic and receive an accurate education that will effectively prepare students for adult life in a diverse, digital-first, and always changing society.”
  

After more than a year of unimaginable challenges for educators and students, Republicans are more interested in fueling division instead of addressing the real needs of our students, schools and communities. In the end, these divisive laws are fueling crippling staff shortages, and preventing students from learning a truthful, thorough, fact-based account of U.S history.

Bottom line:

Whatever our color, background, or zip code, we want our children to have an education that imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and freedom to pursue our dreams. But for too long, Republicans have denied North Carolina students the resources needed for a sound, basic education.

These same Republicans are attempting to censor the truth of our history by pushing laws to ban learning from the mistakes of our past and erase leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who stood up to racism and changed our country for the better. 

North Carolina students deserve more than excuses and hateful measures that deny them the freedom to learn, grow and thrive. Our students deserve fully funded schools, supported teachers and a curriculum that helps them make this country better for everyone.