Tips and Resources for Responding to Pushback from Families or Administrators

We know there is so much you want to discuss with students, but you might have concerns about pushback, resistance, complaints or worse. I realized we give general advice often when writing about a specific topic, but have never written a post about it. So here it is! Hope it is helpful.

When I was most recently teaching full time, my go to response to parents who worried that topics were too “scary/political/polarized/controversial etc” was, “We/I totally agree this is a complex topic that must be addressed thoughtfully and with intention. Here is a resource to help you as we work together to keep answering your child/student’s questions. Thanks for your partnership in this important work!” I also noted how rigorous asking and answering critical questions about the world is and how students are practicing media literacy.

However, at my most recent school, I had the backing of my administration and was teaching at a school with a social justice mission. I also had amazing co-teachers so I was not facing these confrontations alone. Many teachers are in very different positions and may have students who do not wish to discuss the election or politics in general for a variety of reasons. Do what feels right for you and your students. You always know best. If you decide to go ahead with these discussions and do receive pushback, try to make it about the students when you respond. Go back to the questions and concerns they had and how you were trying to answer them (which is your job, after all). The news was and is troubling, but ignoring it won’t make it go away or reassure your students.

General Tips:

Know where you stand with administration. This can be at the level of your individual school or team and/or at a school board or district level. If you know where you stand, you know where to go for help and where to avoid at all costs!
Find your allies. Even if your administration is not supportive, you might be able to find another teacher in a similar situation or an administrative assistant who can give you a heads up. If you cannot find anyone at your school, seek community elsewhere.
Know your rights. These resources from the NEA about teachers’ rights can help with that. The FAQ has an option of searching by state.

Go back to the standards or any other written requirements about what you are supposed to teach.
Refer to the school or district’s mission (if applicable and helpful) or any communication from the school (administration, DEI, counselor, etc) and suggest you are following these mandates and questions about that can be answered by that person or department.
If the concern continues, offering a time in the future to meet about it in person will sometimes give the complainer time to reflect. They may be less comfortable saying certain things to your face and it will give you time to try and find backup for the meeting (someone you trust to be there with you).

*All of this advice is situation dependent. You know what is best and most importantly, you know if you feel safe or not. When in doubt, take precautions and always try to bring things back to the students and their questions and concerns.