Confronting “Divisive Concepts” Legislation: Educators’ Principled Resistance to Florida HB 7

• In Event: Resisting Oppression and Navigating Policy in Education

Abstract

This study explores how K-12 public school educators in Florida respond to and resist HB 7, a “divisive concepts” law restricting teaching about race, gender, and equity. Using critical policy analysis and a principled resistance framework, the study draws on interviews with three teacher leaders from Central Florida. Findings highlight three types of educator resistance—pedagogical, professional, and democratic—shaped by personal beliefs, local school contexts, and broader sociopolitical climates. Despite limited official guidance and legal ambiguity, participants enact creative forms of resistance to maintain equitable practices. This work contributes to the growing body of research on teacher agency under censorship and underscores the critical role educators play in sustaining equitable and socially just education in challenging times.

Author

• Yiting Chu, University of South Florida - Tampa