Sensible or Stifled: What Public School Teachers Know About Their First Amendment Protections in Classrooms

• In Event: Rights Across Education Settings

Abstract

An increasing number of school districts encourage discussion of current events in classrooms. However, teachers’ ability and willingness to manage these conversations may be hampered by concerns about what they are or are not allowed to disclose, especially because their first amendment rights may not fully extend into the classroom. We conducted a survey of public-school teachers to identify what they know about their rights, and how that relates to their teaching practice. Early results suggest that although most teachers regularly discuss current events in the classroom, teacher legal literacy is relatively low. This leaves room for teachers to unknowingly cross the line between protected and unprotected speech in the classroom, and potentially face significant consequences as a result.

Authors

• Kelly Siegel-Stechler, Johns Hopkins University

• Pamela Catherine Callahan, University of Maryland - College Park