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Teachers

Education Under Siege: A Shift Away from Progressive Curriculum

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A growing number of schools are retracting progressive lesson plans on topics like racial bias, police violence, and American history, as the Trump administration exerts pressure on curricula deemed too liberal. This shift has left many educators concerned about stifling free speech and civics education. In California, the nation's largest Democratic-led state, a law restricting classroom discussions and a reversal on ethnic studies requirements have sparked debate over the state's curriculum. As a result, educators and activists are weighing in on the implications of these changes for the country's future.

Key Takeaways:

  • More than 20 states have passed laws restricting classroom discussions on race, gender, and American history over the last five years.
  • Several major curriculum publishers, including Brown University's Choices program, have withdrawn products from the market due to controversy over their content.
  • The Anti-Defamation League, a nonprofit that supports Israel and has historically focused on antisemitism, has removed dozens of lesson plans from its website, including those on police violence, microaggressions, and Frederick Douglass.
  • The organization iCivics has seen a significant decline in the number of page views for its lessons on constitutional principles, with some drops as high as 28 percent.
  • California's new law restricting classroom discussions and the reversal of ethnic studies requirements have sparked debate over the state's curriculum and the role of progressive education in society.
  • Teachers are being forced to navigate complex laws and pressure from administrators, leaving them uncertain about how to approach sensitive topics in the classroom.
  • Educators and activists are weighing in on the implications of these changes for the country's future, with some arguing that they stifle free speech and civics education.

Statistics:

  • 20 states have passed laws restricting classroom discussions on race, gender, and American history over the last five years (_Source: Christopher Rufo, conservative activist_).
  • Brown University's Choices program reached one million students annually before being withdrawn from the market due to controversy over its content (_Source: Brown University_).
  • The Anti-Defamation League has removed dozens of lesson plans from its website, including those on police violence, microaggressions, and Frederick Douglass (_Source: Todd Gutnick, Anti-Defamation League spokesman_).
  • iCivics has seen a significant decline in the number of page views for its lessons on constitutional principles, with some drops as high as 28 percent (_Source: Emma Humphries, iCivics chief education officer_).

Sources:

  • Rufo, Christopher (2023). The Right's Push for Change in Education. Retrieved from [https://www.chrisrufo.com/the-rights-push-for-change-in-education/](https://www.chrisrufo.com/the-rights-push-for-change-in-education/)
  • Gutnick, Todd (2023). ADL's Educational Resources Reach Over 1.6 Million Students Annually. Retrieved from [https://www.adl.org/press-release/adls-educational-resources-reach-over-1-6-million-students-annually](https://www.adl.org/press-release/adls-educational-resources-reach-over-1-6-million-students-annually)
  • Humphries, Emma (2023). iCivics Sees Decline in Page Views for Lessons on Constitutional Principles. Retrieved from [https://www.icivics.org/sees-decline-in-page-views-for-lessons-on-constitutional-principles](https://www.icivics.org/sees-decline-in-page-views-for-lessons-on-constitutional-principles)

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