Walking On Eggshells:The Mental Health Impacts of Culture War Policies on Florida Educators

• In Event: 41021 - Student Forum Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 15: Environmental and Occupational Health

Abstract

Throughout 2022 and 2023, Florida initiated a wave of openly conservative and politicized laws governing education. These bills,termed Don’t Say Gay, Stop W.O.K.E., and Parental Rights in Education, have resulted in numerous book bans and in-school conflicts between education stakeholders. While prior research and scholarship have analyzed the effects of these laws on students and considered the legal correctness of these laws, research on the mental health impacts of obviously politicized legislation on those employed in schools is scant. Through a textual analysis of these laws and associated materials provided by the state and Governor’s office, and in-depth interviews with Florida educators completed in the fall of 2023, this paper outlines the ways these laws have impacted the mental health of educators. Overwhelmingly, educators reported a pervasive culture of fear and self-policing. Educators described fears of escalated conflicts with administrators, students, and parents. Particularly, educators expressed concern that their actions in the classroom would provoke a lawsuit and were clear that they could not economically sustain legal recourse in that eventuality. This specific fear translates into self-censorship, a chronic source of stress for teachers interviewed. Given the actions of the recently inaugurated federal administration on book bans despite the repeal of Stop W.O.K.E. in late 2024, the severe adverse effects of politicizing schools on the workplace for many, many Americans is imperative.

Author

• Jennifer Nicholas, Georgia Institute of Technology