I used to teach in a district where our staff was a mix of progressive and conservative teachers. Our students and their families leaned conservative, but inside our building, politics rarely made it through the door.
Then came COVID-19.
Almost overnight, the national culture wars seeped into our hallways. Tensions rose, board meetings got heated, and the job of “just teaching” became a political tightrope. I was lucky—teaching 8th grade math didn’t spark the same scrutiny other subjects did. No one was dissecting my every word, waiting for me to slip. My colleagues weren’t so fortunate. For them, every book, every bulletin board, every offhand comment could become ammunition. And now, more teachers than ever are leaving the classroom because of it.
Political pressure is causing teachers to leave the classroom
Since that first year after the COVID-19 pandemic, the fatigue that political pressures bring into classrooms has only grown. Teachers across the country are questioning whether the profession they once loved is still worth the constant scrutiny, second-guessing, and risk of public backlash. This summer, that pressure became painfully visible in Idaho, which joined a growing list of states restricting what teachers can say or display in their classrooms. The latest target? The once-uncontroversial sign Everyone Is Welcome Here. For many teachers, the message is clear:
When kindness, empathy, and belonging are treated as political threats, what—and who—is next?
The numbers tell a story teachers already know
Data from 2023-24 reports indicated that more educators than ever were leaving the classroom. The most recent 2024-25 reports show that some of these numbers are leveling out, but a University of Missouri survey found that 78% of teachers have considered quitting since 2020, with veteran educators especially likely to consider leaving. While burnout, low pay, and overwhelming workloads remain major factors, a 2025 RAND study reveals a deeper crisis: Poor working conditions—not just compensation—are now the top reason teachers consider leaving.
Educators are demanding change, putting issues like mental health support, class size, teacher autonomy, and safe, healthy learning environments on bargaining tables and legislative agendas.
But the current political climate is making things worse. According to the RAND study, 22% of teachers say that the intrusion of political issues and opinions into their classrooms is a top-ranked source of job-related stress. From laws restricting curriculum to public harassment and censorship, political pressure is tipping the scales—and pushing many educators to the brink.
What political pressure looks like in the classroom
The We Are Teachers team asked educators to share how politics has affected their classrooms. Here’s what they told us about the ways political pressure is showing up in their work.
Book bans and curriculum censorship
A 26-year veteran high school English teacher now has to log every book in her classroom into a district database. Parents can demand removals and even require special permission for their child to check out certain titles.
We’ve eliminated several titles from our English curriculum because of parent complaints. It’s exhausting and demoralizing to have years of thoughtful curriculum planning undermined overnight. —Anonymous teacher in Indiana
She’s watched parents whip entire communities into a frenzy over a single book title. She says that without higher salaries, less top-heavy administration, and a voice in legislation, she’ll likely walk away once her youngest child graduates.
Laws with vague language
Tennessee’s vague “divisive concepts” law, which restricts how public institutions of higher education address certain topics related to race, gender, and social justice, makes it almost impossible to teach the truth about slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the KKK without fear of attack.
When a student asked if the KKK still existed, I felt trapped in what I could say. —K.W., Tennessee
K.W. has faced criticism from both sides in the same year—one parent accused her of perpetuating stereotypes, another accused her of indoctrination. She says she will keep showing up for her students “as long as I can be honest about historical truth.”
Quiet self-censorship
Before moving to Georgia, teacher Ms. B remembers being “too scared to discuss things with my kids” for fear of job loss in rural east Tennessee.
I knew I had a short leash with literature—anything ‘too progressive’ could get me in trouble. It was like walking on eggshells. —Ms. B., Georgia
She avoided works not written by white men and sidestepped current events entirely, knowing one misstep could cost her her job. She has no plans to return to Tennessee unless its education laws change dramatically.
Creating safety in a climate of uncertainty
Even in subjects that are normally less politically targeted, pressure is still present. A middle school math teacher says she decorates her room with inclusive imagery—artwork featuring diverse scientists and a rainbow tote bag—not because the curriculum demands it, but because students need to see that they belong.
I don’t feel direct pressure to censor, but I feel a deep responsibility to create safety in a climate where that’s not guaranteed. —Anonymous teacher in Illinois
She worries that if the Department of Education is dismantled, vulnerable students—especially those with disabilities—will lose critical protections, making her job less about teaching and more about fighting for basic equity.
Worry over curriculum backlash
While Hawaii hasn’t passed restrictive curriculum laws, Jordan B. still worries about parental backlash when teaching about slavery in 5th grade.
I never want to diminish the severity or hide the truth of our history, but I also want to keep lessons appropriate for 10-year-olds. —Jordan B., Hawaii
She has already watched deep budget cuts slash programs and resources. She fears that without renewed funding and support, schools will demand more from teachers with even fewer resources, pushing more educators out of the profession.
Censorship pushing teachers out
For A.K., the breaking point came when her district’s English teachers began facing multiple book challenges each year. She left the English classroom entirely.
The majority of us aren’t indoctrinating kids. If we could brainwash them, it would be into turning work in on time.” —A.K., Missouri
She plans for this to be her last year teaching, citing Missouri’s lack of support for public education and the growing influence of extreme political mandates. “It’s a storm that’s only getting worse,” she says.
Why political pressure on teachers matters for students
When teachers self-censor—or leave the profession altogether—students lose access to nuanced conversations about the world. They lose mentors willing to help them think critically and empathetically. Research shows that high teacher turnover disrupts learning, especially in high-poverty schools. Students lose trusted relationships, and schools struggle to find experienced replacements.
The breaking point
For some, the decision to leave isn’t just about politics—it’s about the pile-on. Political pressure often delivers the final straw for teachers already facing overwhelming demands. Teachers cover for absent colleagues, manage large classes, and absorb extra work left when support staff positions are eliminated. As our anonymous teacher from Indiana put it, “The value we’ve put on education is so low, it’s a wonder why anyone stays.”
What teachers say they need
Educators across states and grade levels, from surveys and our interviews, echo the same needs:
- A voice in policy decisions that affect their classrooms
- Higher salaries and competitive benefits
- Protection from harassment and public shaming
- Clear guidelines instead of vague, politically loaded restrictions
- Respect for their professional expertise
Without meaningful change, schools risk losing more than just head count. They risk losing the kind of teaching that helps students understand, question, and connect with the world around them.
Or as Ms. B says:
If we keep pretending certain realities don’t exist, our kids will grow up unprepared for the world they’re actually living in.
The cost of doing nothing
Political pressure in classrooms is reshaping the profession. When teachers have to second-guess every book choice, every classroom poster, and every answer to a student’s question, it chips away at why many of us became educators in the first place. The danger isn’t just losing high-quality teachers. It’s losing the freedom to teach honestly, to create safe and inclusive classrooms, and to prepare students for the complicated world they’re already living in.
Teachers know that public education is at its best when it reflects the needs of all students—not the political agenda of the loudest voices in the room. But that vision won’t survive without real support from lawmakers, communities, and parents who are willing to stand with educators instead of against them.
If we continue to push skilled teachers out of the profession, our students and future generations will face serious consequences.
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Sarah Morris
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