Ideas on How to Address Censorship of Educational Materials

Censorship and the suppression of materials in classrooms is a growing problem. Strategies and procedures to help teachers, administrators and parents counter censorship and other attacks on learning are explained by Albert A. Anderson and Charles R. Garoian, associate professors of art education at Pennsylvania State University. School districts need to develop and formally adopt censorship policies.

Educators need to clearly understand the boundaries of their district's policies. A censorship policy should include a fair and orderly process for the removal of teaching materials. Community alliances of citizens, teachers, administrators and parents willing to address censorship issues need to be organized. Would-be censors are often well-organized groups of individuals with agendas and formalized strategies for challenging school programs, texts and concepts.

By forming an alliance comprised of the school's diverse community, decisions made by the alliance are more likely to result in adoption or protection of educational material that fulfills the needs of the community as a whole. Teachers need to be prepared to openly discuss their curriculum rationales. Teachers also need to remain objective about the challenge and be prepared to write a formal statement explaining the educational rationale for the material under attack.

A critical examination of the material under attack is needed and guaranteed in this democratic nation so educators need not succumb to a censorship challenge simply to avoid further controversy. Refer organized challenges to administrators. Enlist the aid of organizations such as People for the American Way and the American Library Association or the American Civil Liberties Union which provide information regarding censorship.

Albert A. Anderson and Charles R. Garoian "Fighting Censorship in the Art Classroom School Arts, December, 1996, p. 31

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