AACTE Opposes Efforts to Silence Educators and LGBTQ+ Students

(May 10, 2022, Washington, D.C.) On behalf of AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education), President and CEO Lynn M. Gangone issued the following statement in response to recent legislation meant to oppress educators and students, including legislation specifically targeting transgendered and gender non-conforming students:

“Recently, there has been a concerted effort to prevent students, teachers, and educators from discussing our nation’s history in an honest and open manner. More than 30 states have pending legislation that prohibit the discussion of issues deemed “divisive,” including discourse of indigenous people and their removal from native lands, acts of antisemitism, the Black Lives Matter movement, and sexual orientation and gender identity.AACTE strongly opposes legislation that censors curriculum and educators and prevents students, especially LGBTQ+ students and those from historically marginalized groups, from receiving the full and safe academic experience they deserve. Additionally, AACTE supports policies and legislation that ensure teacher candidates are appropriately trained to support LGBTQ+ students and the various communities they represent. Elected officials should expand educational opportunities to all students, regardless of race, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, or creed, rather than implement policies that limit a student’s value in the classroom. Such discriminatory policies prohibit students from reaching their full academic potential by enabling bullying, harassment, and other harmful practices.

AACTE encourages all educators to report any censorship efforts to organizations such as the American Library Association, National Coalition Against Censorship, African American Policy Forum (race/racism) and to report discrimination to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.”

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AACTE: Leading Educator Preparation Since 1948

AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) is the leading voice on educator preparation. A national alliance of colleges of education, educator preparation programs, and partners, AACTE represents nearly 700 member institutions and strategic partners, including public and private colleges and universities in every state, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Guam. AACTE engages with its international partners in furthering the growth and development of educator preparation worldwide. Through advocacy and capacity building, AACTE promotes innovation and effective practices that strengthen educator preparation. Learn more at aacte.org.