The Assault on History and Public Education
Eliza Byard
In the last two years, 16 states passed laws prohibiting the teaching of “divisive concepts” like “CRT” or “gender ideology.” Last school year, there were 3,362 cases of school library books being banned or challenged, up from 345 in 2019. Millions of American K-12 students now attend school in districts where their access to books and information is constrained, and where educators face fines or firing for how they teach history or for supporting LGBTQ+ students. The assault on history and public education reflects the priorities of several distinct political movements, not educators. It has huge stakes not only for teaching and learning at all levels, but for the future of our democracy.
Longtime education advocate Eliza Byard will survey what is happening across the country, discuss how we got here, and take a look ahead.
Eliza Byard is the co-founder and Senior Advisor to The Campaign for Our Shared Future (COSF), a non-partisan group that monitors and responds to local, state, and federal legislative, policy, and regulatory developments threatening equity in publicly funded K-12 education in the US. From 2008-2021, she was the Executive Director of GLSEN, a pioneering non-profit that developed a powerful national network of students, educators, and other school stakeholders to advocate for LGBTQ+ students and issues in education. She holds a PhD in History from Columbia University.
Sponsored by the Columbia University Department of History. [email protected]
