Teachers’ Resistance to the Bigotry of Political “Neutrality” Policies

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Resisting Niceness, Whiteness, and Political Neutrality (Table 39)

Abstract

U.S. state and local policies are increasingly restricting teachers' engagement with students about questions of race, sexuality, gender, and related topics. Framed as “political neutrality,” the censoring of teachers' political expression is manifesting in parts of California’s Central Valley—a highly under researched and addressed area of the state. Our paper sheds light on survey and interview data with educators representing four school districts to identify 1) local K-12 teacher experiences of the changing climate of their schools related to political expression, and 2) local K-12 educators’ approaches to navigating such changing contexts. We discuss and highlight policy implications for teachers’ free speech, forms of retaliation, and how they are navigating politically contentious climates at various stages of their careers.

Authors

• Patricia D. Lopez, California State University - Fresno

• Earl Aguilera, California State University - East Bay