"I Have Never Wanted to Quit More": How "Divisive Issues" Legislation Impacts Teachers

• In Event: Teacher Agency and Voice in a Racially and Politically Contested Educational Landscape

Abstract

In the last year, state legislatures across the United States have introduced a rash of bills designed to control how K–12 teachers discuss ‘divisive issues.’ This legislation has prompted an outpouring of news coverage on the impact of these laws, but sidelined in this discourse are the perspectives of teachers. This mixed methods study seeks to understand these restrictions on teaching ‘divisive issues’ with specific attention to the perceived impact they have on teachers. We identified three themes salient to how teachers as ‘gatekeepers’ (Thornton, 1991) anticipate these legislative efforts influencing their practice: curricular autonomy, context, and institutional guidance. The paper concludes with the significance of these findings, including potential policy implications at the national, state, and local levels.

Authors

• Sarah J. Kaka, Ohio Wesleyan University
  Presenting Author

• Joshua Littenberg-Tobias, GBH
  Presenting Author

• Anthony Tuf Francis, Oakland University
  Presenting Author

• Taylor M. Kessner, University of Texas - Arlington
  Presenting Author

• Katrina Kennett, University of Montana Western
  Presenting Author