Teaching in trying times
By Amy Moran, Ph. D. and Allison Connolly
The first months of the new presidential administration have yielded astonishing developments that compromise our civil society. We’ve seen the decimation of federal jobs at the hands of the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), ostensibly to reduce Americans’ tax burden, but more likely aimed at relieving billionaires from paying their fair share of taxes. We’ve already seen the devastation in the fields of cancer research, national parks services, air traffic control and others—but no reduction in federal subsidies for oil companies and others that perennially yield gigantic private profits.
We’ve seen the beginning of the dismantling of the federal Department of Education and the advent of a new federal hotline where parents and students can report schools and anyone who works in them for using diversity, equity and inclusion-related pedagogies because they’re “discriminatory.”
U.S. citizens who are transgender risk not being allowed back in the country after traveling abroad if the sex on their passport doesn’t match what Customs personnel perceive to be their gender expression, or if they carry a passport with an X designation rather than M or F, both of which were perfectly legal mere months ago, prior to the current federal administration’s swift policy changes that center harm to trans people and their communities.
At the state level, horrifying laws passed in Iowa and Montana to reduce rights for trans people also help mark this unique American era in which civil rights aren’t being expanded but being strategically taken away.
Because this isn’t the first time in history that we’ve seen such radically cruel governing, we reached out to Allison Connolly to help us think through the political climate in which we find ourselves.
How are the decisions of the new federal administration informing your thinking right now?
I worry, all of the time. The connections between HIB [harassment, intimidation and bullying], absenteeism and dropout rates have been long understood. We know that data—data that has now been scrubbed from federal websites, by the way—shows how damaging it is for vulnerable students to be unsupported and un(der)represented in schools. Teaching—and especially teaching history—feels like taking a spot on the front lines right now. Holocaust education—especially lessons around “us versus them” and the use of propaganda and manipulation—is more important than ever.
Jennifer Levi, GLAD LAW’s Senior Director of Transgender and Queer Rights, recently wrote that the current presidential administration is “testing how much brutality Americans will tolerate against vulnerable people.” Do you agree?
I think she’s correct. What is happening to our democracy at present is nothing new; we have seen other examples of it in recent history. Our students—especially our marginalized students—are living in fear. Trans and nonbinary students are being told their identities are no longer valid. Immigrant students—documented and undocumented—fear deportation. Students with disabilities, students who are poor, students who are racial/ethnic/religious minorities—they will all suffer the repercussions of diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks. Jane Fonda made a comment during her recent SAG award speech, stating that we are in our “documentary moment,” that we have all watched documentaries on milestone events in history, like the Stonewall Riots and the Civil Rights Movement, and wondered, “What would I do?” Now, in this moment, we have a chance to answer the question.
What are your recommendations for New Jersey educators right now, especially related to the vulnerable students in our classrooms?
Please, stay the course. As of right now, New Jersey remains committed to doing what is best for all students. The NJDOE is not backing down from its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion—just look at the “More Than Just a Month” series! The NJSIAA affirmed the rights of transgender athletes. And the New Jersey Student Learning Standards support educators in teaching inclusive lessons, supported by state mandates for inclusion around LGBTQ+ people, disabled people and other vulnerable demographic groups. Our schools, students and colleagues are much better protected (for now).
- Elementary teachers: Teach students to be kind, to respect one another, to embrace and celebrate differences and to speak up when they see something that is unjust or unfair.
- Middle school teachers: Teach students the power of language and words. Empower them to use their voices. Don’t ignore transphobic, homophobic, antisemitic or discriminatory language. Use these incidents as teachable moments.
- High school teachers: Teach students how to think, how to assess information critically and formulate independent, informed thoughts. Show them that what they do matters and that they have power.
- Working with administration: Build and maintain relationships. Work together in the best interest of students and staff. There is strength in unity. Clear and honest communication is key. Ask for help.
- Relating with adult family members and community members: It takes a village! Working as a team with families, community members and other stakeholders helps everyone. People fear what they don’t understand—so, help them understand and be transparent. Explain why celebrating, protecting and educating all of our students is what is best for everyone.
What would you say to those who don’t think these current events are relevant to our work as educators, to our nation or to our democracy?
The Holocaust was made possible primarily by people in positions of power: business owners, lawyers, doctors and, yes, teachers. The Atlantic recently published an article, “How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days,” and I feel like it should be required reading because an entire country of people helped allow untold atrocities to occur because they didn’t resist en masse.
What’s something you’d really like educators to know right now?
Resistance comes in all shapes and sizes—just look at the Holocaust. There was the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising—probably the most symbolic act of resistance during the Holocaust—but there were also subtler acts. Diaries. Art. Theater. Education. We cannot underestimate the power that teachers hold in this moment. It is incumbent upon us to act—to teach critical literacies around current events—so that our students know that each and every one of them matters to each and every one of us.
Amy Moran, Ph.D. is an out lesbian educator, leader and activist working to make education affirming and inclusive for all of her students and colleagues. Moran has taught middle school for 30 years and was a high school GSA adviser for 16 years.
Allison Connolly, a 25-year educator and local president in Ocean Township, teaches a dual enrollment course, The Holocaust and Modern Day Genocides, in conjunction with Kean University. She’s also the Monmouth County representative to the NJEA SOGI Committee and holds governor-appointed positions on the NJDOE Commission on Holocaust Education and the Advisory Commission on LGBTQ+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools, serving as that commission’s chair.