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Lintner, 2018; Sanders, 2021; Strozewski, 2021). Studying controversial issues did
not cause discord, but it did allow people to think about actions people had taken in
the past to ameliorate problems in democracy and to work for future changes. These
legislative statutes banning controversial issues directly contradicted K–12 social
studies standards and guidelines for high school graduation (Associated Press, 2021;
Indiana Department of Education, 2021; NCSS, 2013, 2010). Rather than ignoring
the civic implication of a citizenry unable to work with controversial issues, teachers
Dr. Denise Shockley is had a professional obligation to prepare students for living in a democracy.
Superintendent, Gallia-
Vinton Educational Literature Review
Service Center, Rio
Grande, Ohio, and a Teachers’ Freedom of Speech
member of Beta Alpha Teachers need to recognize the delicate balance between free speech as guaranteed
Chapter in the Ohio State under the First Amendment and school control. A school board sets school policy,
Organization. dshockley@ administrators project that into the community, and confusion can ensue if multiple
galliavintonesc.org messages come from different school employees. Inappropriate speech with students,
accidental communication with the community of private material, or intentionally
provocative positions on social media are not covered under free speech. Free speech
does include communicating with students and parents, classroom enrichment, and
professional discourse (Vasek & Hendricks, 2016). On social media, it is sometimes
very difficult to differentiate between one’s views as a classroom teacher and one’s
views as a private citizen. However, teachers should expect that anything said or
displayed on social media is as private as a roadside billboard. To avoid being
charged with unprofessional conduct, teachers should think of their identity online
as an extension of their classroom selves (Hamblin & Bartlett, 2013). Although they
have the right to free speech, their community may not agree with their position.
Educators have accordingly found themselves in multi-year and costly legal battles
to win the freedom of personal expression. Once an opinion is released on social
media, it can be very difficult to find a compromise position or the delicate balance
between employee and private citizen.

Controversial issues
Controversial issues are present in schools, homes, and communities. Students
do not live in isolation from society, and they bring the issues into the classroom.
Unfortunately, teachers need to be prepared for hate speech, discriminatory language
directed at minorities, and the display of racist symbols (Reynolds et al., 2020).
Navigating this environment is important for student security and inclusion, and
learning how to so navigate is an important part of teacher education. Generally,
preservice teachers learn how experienced instructors work with controversy
by examining videos of educators examining classroom controversial issues
(Shuttleworth et al., 2018). Preservice teachers both reflect and contextualize what
they learn about controversial issues. Because they can help students learn to make
decisions about finding justice through controversial issues, teachers need to explore
controversial issues in the classroom starting in elementary school (King et al., 2018;
Linowes et al., 2019).
Teachers need to define race and racism with their students and understand that the
concept of race has been used as a method of control. Furthermore, the consequences
of race are real for both those whose actions and thoughts oppress or privilege certain
groups of people and for those who are oppressed or privileged. Rather than seeing
race as complex or sensitive and then avoiding conversations about it, educators

48 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators