(Syracuse.com | March 25, 2025) This open letter to our schools and community was written by faculty members and doctoral students from the Syracuse University School of Education. In was submitted by George Theoharis, professor of educational leadership, on behalf of 14 others. Their names appear at the end of the full article.
One of the defining qualities of the best schools in our country is the ability to create a welcoming environment that fosters robust education for each and every child, but specifically for the children who are the most vulnerable, at the greatest risk, and who are most likely to struggle. We are in a moment in our national political discourse where there are real and pervasive threats to this endeavor.
“We are seeing this wave of censorship and challenges across the country.”
The books that are used to expand students’ minds and teach about the breadth of the human experience are under attack. As any English teacher knows, a book’s value cannot be assessed on a single paragraph or page. We are seeing this wave of censorship and challenges across the country.
This censorship strips educational texts of their full context, undermining their value and meaning, and denies students important learning. We are experiencing a rewriting of the history of the United States history to only include the triumphs of this nation, denying the evils of enslavement, internment, prejudice and stolen land.
We are experiencing hate and hostility toward our LGBTQ+ community and, more specifically, those who identify as trans or gender non-conforming.
The recent torture and murder of Sam Norquist speaks to the urgent dangers of this anti-trans sentiment. Censorship of books and history, as well as open hostility toward the LGBTQ+ and, specifically, the trans community, fly in the face of fostering the welcoming environment and robust education that our students deserve, and our collective future requires …