Ed Trust Tennessee > Tennessee Coalition for Truth in Classrooms
A Resource Guide for Students, Educators, and Community Advocates
The Tennessee Coalition for Truth in Our Classrooms is a group of students, education advocates and community organization leaders who believe in promoting the teaching of truthful history in our schools, and honoring and valuing the diversity of our students, staff and institutions.
Our coalition believes schools must be an inclusive, safe, nurturing environment so that children can learn to address some of the world’s most complex issues. To do so, schools must teach a diverse and challenging curriculum, and students need to engage with materials that reflect the rich history of all students and our world. Schools have a responsibility to provide students with thorough, truthful, and fact-based history as a means of addressing misinformation and avoiding mistakes of the past.
Our coalition has been tracking the dangerous anti-truth, censorship bills, news, and ongoing conversations evolving since the passage of Public Chapter 493 in 2021. The development of false narratives and attacks on diversity, equity & inclusion efforts are causing disruptions in our schools, hindering students’ learning and negatively impacting teachers’ mental, social-emotional well-being as they are threatened with punitive actions.
To support our students, teachers, and community advocates with understanding and navigating the complexities of how the anti-truth and censorship movement is impacting Tennessee, we have created a hub of resources. Our hope is to spread awareness on this issue, protect full and honest instruction in our classrooms, and empower our students and teachers with factual information, helpful toolkits, and tangible guides to take action.
Action Toolkits
Download a toolkit from Learn from History and Our Turn that’s right for you to help ensure that your schools continue teaching fact-based history.
LEARN FROM HISTORY
OUR TURN
Messaging Guides
Review evidence-informed guides on how to frame your advocacy language on common concerns, questions, and topics you might encounter in current education debates.
Changing the Narrative
- Social Toolkit
- Hot Topic Talking Points
- Family & Friends Messaging
- Core Messages
- Glossary
- Toolkit for Local Advocates: Teaching Diverse & Inclusive Materials & Defending DEI
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL)
40 Race Forward
Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA)
Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE)
We Make the Future
GLSEN
Anti-Truth, Censorship Bill Movement
Learn about how to take action on current bills moving through the Tennessee General Assembly, and track the equity implications for bills moving across the country.
Tennessee Advocacy
- TN Youth Coalition Testimony in Opposition to SB1944/HB1944
- Current Law:
- Public Chapter 744: The Age Appropriate Materials Act & TDOE Memorandum
- Public Chapter 493: K-12 Classroom Censorship & TDOE Rules
- Public Chapter 818: Higher Education Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Restrictions
- Public Chapter 1137: State Library Censorship
Across the Country
- Every Library: Legislation of Concern
- UCLA CRT Forward Tracking Project
- Education Week: Map – Where CRT is Under Attack
- African American Policy Forum: #TruthBeTold Campaign
- FutureEd: State Legislation Restricting the Teaching of Racial History
- American Library Association: Intellectual Freedom Issues & Resources
- United Against Book Bans Campaign
- NAACP LDF’s In Defense of Truth
- PEN America Comprehensive Bill Tracker
- Red, Wine & Blue: Book Banning Media
- Censorship Attacks Tracker
- GLSEN’s Affirmative Legislation Tracker & Negative Legislation Tracker
Know Your Rights
Review helpful resources consolidated by the ACLU.
Educator & Student Resource
Censorship in the News
Review recent media highlights on anti-truth, censorship issues in Tennessee and across the country.
Research, Podcasts & Publications
- National Center for Youth Law Report: The Student-Affirming Education Needed for Our Children and our Nation’s Future
- The Daily: The Sunday Read – ‘Daring to Speak About Race in a Divided School District”
- Education Trust: Teaching Honest History
- Education Trust Podcast: Ed Trusted
- Education Trust: Anti-CRT Laws Ban Them: Now What?
- Stand for Children Teacher’s Report Survey
Tennessee
- Chalkbeat: Bill to clarify Tennessee school library law would exempt classroom book collections from scrutiny
- WLPN: How will Tennessee’s textbook handle calls for book bans? WLPN obtained a draft of the guidance
- Chalkbeat TN: Tyre Nichols’ death creates another tragic teaching moment for Facing History & Ourselves
- Chalkbeat: Textbook panel says it’s ill equipped to manage library book appeals
- Chalkbeat: Bill would curb ‘implicit bias’ training in Tennessee schools, universities
- Knoxville News Centennial: Students need to feel safe, supported and taught the truth about US history | Opinion
- Chalkbeat: Students of color deserve to see themselves in their school curriculum
- Tennessean: Judge on Williamson parent lawsuit: ‘Does not even come close’ to Critical Race Theory
- Chalkbeat: Tennessee Textbook Panel hones school library guidance for ‘age appropriate’ materials
- Chalkbeat: Tennessee library law’s expanded scope puts new burden on teachers
- Tennessean: Absent guidance, Tennessee officials expanded library law to include classroom books
- The Commercial Appeal: Collierville Schools pulled 300 books off shelves while Tennessee considered ban
- Local 3 News: Hamilton teachers race to meet book scanning deadline, on their own time
- Education Week: Conservative Parent Sues School District Over Curriculum That Discusses Race and Gender
- Tennessean: Tennessee, Florida progressive parent groups push to protect students’ voices in education
- Tennessean: Most Tennesseans oppose book banning, despite recent laws, new poll finds
- Chalkbeat: How the ‘age-appropriate’ debate is altering curriculum in Tennessee and nationwide
- Tennessee Lookout: Conservative report effects higher education anti-diversity bill
- Commercial Appeal: Memphis student action (TN Youth Coalition) Press Rally on HB1944 & HB0800
- Tennessee Lookout:2022 could break anti-LGBTQ legislation records
Across the Country
- Pen America: Education Censorship Continues – the 2023 Legislative Sessions So Far
- The74: National Study Reveals 1 in 4 Teachers Altering Lesson Plans Due to Anti-Critical Race Theory Laws
- Education Week: Educators’ Opposition to Censorship Comes At a Big Personal Cost
- Education Week: The Evolution of the Anti-CRT Movement: A Timeline
- NPR: Florida says AP class teaches critical race theory. Here’s what’s really in the course
- Chalkbeat: ‘The hardest years of my career’: Principals say political combat has engulfed schools
- NPR: The culture wars are pushing some teachers to leave the classroom
- AACTE: The State of Education Censorship in Institutions of Higher Ed and Implications for the Field
- Brookings: Why academic freedom challenges are dangerous for democracy
- The Washington Post: An explosion of culture-war laws is changing schools. Here’s how.
- Education Week: As Book Bans Escalate, Here’s What You Need to Know
- Ipsos Poll: Most parents want classrooms to be places of learning, not political battlegrounds
- NPR: How social-emotional learning became a frontline in the battle against CRT
- Washington Post: School book bans and challenges, at record highs, are rising again
- Chalkbeat: In this political climate, how can I teach U.S’s diverse history?
- The Student Voice Forum: Students Mobilize to fight teacher gag bills
- The74: The ACLU’s Fight Against Classroom Censorship, State by State
- NYT: How Book Bans Turned a Texas Town Upside Down
- NYT: Daring to Speak Up About Race in a Divided School District
- Chalkbeat: Chilling effect – 1 in 4 teachers told to limit class talk on hot-button issues
- NYT: What’s Actually Being Taught in History Class
- NYT: With Rising Book Bans, Librarians Have Come Under Attack
- Chalkbeat: On race and schools, here’s what Americans agree and disagree on
- AP & NORC Poll: No Public Consensus on Discussing Race & Gender
- American Library Association: Large Majorities of Voters Oppose Book Banks
- NYT: Who’s Unhappy With Schools: The Answer Surprised Me.
- CBS: The Trials of Critical Race Theory
- NYT: What Americans Really Think of CRT
- How Indiana’s anti-CRT bill failed even with a GOP supermajority
Events
Register now for virtual opportunities to learn more and take action.
Upcoming Events
- 3/21, 4/18, 5/16, 5/30, 6/20: Teach Out Webinar Series – Voices for Honest Education Fellows
- Thursdays, 11-12 CT: Stand for Children Intelligence Briefing
Past Events
- 11/02 Recording: Know Your Rights: Updates on What You Need to Know About Tennessee’s K-12 Censorship Bills
- 11/02 PowerPoint Slides: Know Your Rights: Updates on What You Need to Know About Tennessee’s K-12 Censorship Bills
- 5/24: The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights – Teaching Truth: Messaging the Moment
- Recording: Know Your Rights: What You Need to Know about Tennessee’s latest Censorship Bills
- PowerPoint Slides: Know Your Rights: What You Need to Know about Tennessee’s latest Censorship Bills
- Chalkbeat: How the CRT debate and the culture wars impact students in Tennessee
- Webinar: Teaching Truth: Protecting and Advancing Culturally Responsive Curricula in Our Schools
- EmpowerEd what is CRT Presentation
Coalition Partners
