New American Oversight Report Details Impacts of Far-Right Classroom Censorship on Public Education
Education measures policing the teaching of “divisive concepts” threaten the foundations of U.S. public education and our democracy. American Oversight’s new report explains how.
On Thursday, American Oversight published “The Far-Right Attack on Public Education: How Curriculum and Classroom Censorship Stifles Educators, Harms Students, and Threatens Our Democracy,” an in-depth report informed by thousands of pages of public records that illuminates the impacts of the recent wave of restrictions on classroom discussion, books, and lessons.
The report details documents that provide a behind-the-scenes look at how the implementation of “divisive concepts” measures creates confusion for educators, undermines the provision of a comprehensive education, and threatens the foundational principles of public education and our democracy.
Since 2020, when President Donald Trump created the “1776 Commission” to “restore patriotic education that teaches the truth about America” — a reactionary response to the racial justice protests that swept the nation that summer — 23 states have enacted new restrictions limiting how teachers can talk about race or gender or what kinds books or lesson plans are allowed in public schools.
With Trump back in the White House, the restrictive state-level policies outlined in American Oversight’s report are moving to the federal government. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 agenda calls for federal lawmakers to draft legislation banning the teaching of supposed gender ideology and critical race theory and for officials to adopt “divisive concepts” policies for K-12 systems. One of Trump’s early executive orders reinstated the 1776 Commission and sought to block federal funding for schools that include “gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom.” His nominee for secretary of education, Linda McMahon — whose Senate confirmation hearing is Thursday — is the board chair for the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, which has shared that she opposes “political indoctrination in classrooms” and supports “parental rights in education.”
Public records discussed in “The Far-Right Attack on Public Education” reveal the harm the far-right education movement has already caused in states across the country. Politically and ideologically motivated censorship of educational materials in public schools, including references to race, gender, and sexual orientation, has led to a pronounced chilling effect on teachers: Targeting certain content through vaguely defined terms like “divisive concepts” leaves educators confused, uncertain, and fearful of adverse employment consequences — and more inclined to excise content related to race, gender, or sexuality from their curriculum. Students may be left with an inaccurate, incomplete, or biased understanding of U.S. history and current social issues. The documents also spotlight the whitewashing of history curriculum and banning of certain books in public schools.
Underpinned by public reporting and records that unveil new details about the implementation of and responses to classroom and curriculum censorship policies, American Oversight’s report offers a unique look at the harmful effects such measures have on students, educators, and our democracy.