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Freedom to Learn

Protecting the right to an honest and culturally inclusive education.
All children deserve well-trained and supported educators and curriculum to help them reckon with our past and shape our future. Together, we can make that happen.
By: National Education Association
Published: May 11, 2023
This toolkit originally appeared on NEA.org

How to use this toolkit

No matter our color, background, or ZIP code, we want our kids to have an education that imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and courage to do what’s right. We also want educators to feel supported when teaching these important lessons.

Together, parents, educators, and students can demand that our schools have the resources to meet every child’s needs with well-trained and supported teachers, and a curriculum that helps them reckon with and shape our future. Find resources and actions below to help protect our students freedom to learn. 

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Enact Positive Change Through School Board Resolutions

Our neighborhood public schools are meant to inspire imagination, cultivate critical thinking, and ensure our children can live fulfilling lives. By coming together, we can more deeply engage our school board and school community to ensure opportunity for all. 

Adapt a resolution for your community >

Find Tips on Working with School Boards 

Whether you are a regular at your school board meetings or are just getting started, here are some tips to make your advocacy for our students the best it can be. 

Learn More >

NEA President Becky Pringle delivers the keynote address to the 2021 NEA Representative Assembly.
These dangerous attempts to stoke fears and rewrite history not only diminish the injustices experienced by generations of Americans, they prevent educators from challenging our students to achieve a more equitable future.
Quote by: Becky Pringle, NEA President
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Say This, Not That

Say This
Lead with shared values, not problems. Explicitly name or signal that we share these values across differences in race and class, “no matter what we look like or where we are from.”
Say This
Use active language to make it clear that certain people created the problem. Describe the reasons bad actors attempt to distract, fuel fear and divide us across race, gender, and origin.
SAY THIS
Provide specific, tangible actions people can take, such as attending school board meetings, voting in elections, and contacting officials.

Know Your Rights

Protect yourself as you work for justice.
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Teach Truth: Know your Rights FAQ

Learn about your rights and protections regarding censorship and teaching about racism, sexism, and historical prejudice, sometimes incorrectly called "critical race theory.”
Read more
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Find your Guide

Access state-specific guides for teaching culturally-inclusive curricula that includes historical facts about our country.
Learn More

Listen to our Podcast

NEA’s General Counsel Alice O’Brien on what critical race theory is, what it isn’t, and what educators need to know to protect honesty in education and themselves.
Add the new Advocacy Guide here
When students are given a choice in what they read, as well as support and time to read, they thrive. NEA’s Read Across America offers several classroom resources to celebrate the freedom to read, including a list of educator-recommended books that have been banned or challenged.
Freedom to Read Bookmark poster

Freedom to Read Artwork

Find posters, bookmarks, and more to show your support for banned books and freedom from censorship in the classroom.
Download and share art
Older students read books

Sign the Freedom to Read Pledge

We’re joining together to make sure every student has to look no farther than the shelves of their own school libraries to find age-appropriate books that show they are reflected and respected.
Add your name

Resources to Support Racial Justice in the Classroom

BLMposter

BLM@School

Black Lives Matter at School aims to spark an ongoing movement of critical reflection, honest conversation, and impactful action in school communities to help people engage with issues of racial justice. Find stories, resources and ideas highlighting Black Lives Matter at School from across the country.
Learn more
Ship on the water with the words The 1619 Project

1619 Project

The 1619 Project is an initiative by The New York Times Magazine that aims to reframe the country’s history by highlighting narratives about slavery and the contributions of Black Americans.
Learn more
teach the truth

Teaching Hard History

These resources for middle- and high-school educators include Learning for Justice's grades 6–12 framework, as well as student-facing videos and primary source texts to help all students grasp the historical significance of slavery. Educators will also find teaching tools and professional development resources.
Find resources

Speak Up For Students and Public Schools

When we act together and lift our voices together in unison, we can improve the lives of children.
An illustration of a girl with butterfly wings and a bullhorn. She has a speech bubble that says, "Our power is stronger than fear!

Respect, Reflect, and Protect SC Students!

Only The SCEA has toolkits to help you understand the issues and defend the civil rights of all students.
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Your Voice. Our Power. Their Future.

The SCEA is an affiliate of the largest professional association of educators in the country. As the leading advocate for the schools South Carolina students deserve, The SCEA works to promote quality public education and to support public school employees.
About Us
Join The SCEA

The South Carolina Education Association is a state affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.

Learn more at NEA.org

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