FAIR News: The Crisis in American Classrooms
Educational polarization is robbing students of both learning and unity—yet no one is talking about it.
Dear Friends of FAIR,
Imagine walking into your child’s classroom and seeing students reluctant to share their thoughts because they’re afraid their perspectives might be judged as “wrong” based on who they are or what they believe.
Picture bright young minds being taught to see their classmates primarily through the lens of group identity rather than individual character.
And while this is happening, imagine teachers who are caught in the middle—afraid to express their concerns and pressured to implement curricula they believe undermines student learning and social cohesion.
This isn’t a far-fetched dystopian scenario; it’s happening in schools across America right now.
While many of our nation’s children struggle to rebound from devastating academic losses supercharged by the pandemic, a deeper crisis is unfolding in our classrooms. Educational polarization is interfering with the very foundations of learning: curiosity, open dialogue, and the free exchange of ideas.
Research from George Mason University reveals that intolerance is becoming more prevalent in schools. A 2022 RAND Corporation study found that district leaders are deeply concerned that polarization around controversial topics is actively interfering with education itself. When students are afraid to ask questions, challenge ideas respectfully, or engage with different perspectives, they are deprived of vital learning opportunities.
The source of this educational crisis isn’t hard to identify. In cities like San Francisco, parents increasingly find themselves at odds with school boards over Ethnic Studies mandates implemented without proper approval or community input. Families describe curricula that teach ‘unfalsifiable ideas’ and sort students into rigid identity categories.
What’s happening in our schools doesn’t just harm academic achievement; it undermines the social-emotional skills students need to thrive in a democratic society. Instead of learning to navigate differences constructively, students are taught that disagreement equals harm and that certain perspectives are inherently invalid.
At FAIR, we believe there's a better way.
We believe students deserve a curriculum that teaches our complex history and America’s unique cultural heritage honestly—while building the skills required for democratic participation and good citizenship. We believe students deserve to learn about the unique, and often challenging, experiences of people from diverse religious, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds—while also discovering and embracing our shared values and common ground. Most importantly, we believe students deserve to see themselves and their classmates as full human beings capable of growth, understanding, and collaboration.
And that's exactly what FAIR's American Experience Curriculum delivers.
Developed by expert educators and validated by Johns Hopkins School of Education, FAIR’s curriculum explores America’s rich cultural heritage while emphasizing our founding principles, individual character strengths, and civil discourse skills.
Last Fall, we announced that FAIR was hard at work on this first-of-its-kind curriculum, and now we’re excited to share the progress we’ve made. Starting next week, we’ll take you inside our curriculum so you can see:
Examples of lesson plans that tackle complex topics without dividing students
Expert team profiles of the educators and scholars who created this balanced approach
Research-backed methods that build critical thinking while fostering unity
Real classroom applications showing how teachers can navigate sensitive topics constructively
You'll discover how students will learn to engage respectfully across differences, analyze multiple perspectives, and find common ground—skills that are essential for both academic success and democratic citizenship.
The stakes couldn't be higher.
We're not just talking about curriculum choices; we're talking about the kind of citizens we’re raising and the future leaders of our country. Do we want young Americans who see division as inevitable, or do we want them equipped with the knowledge and skills to bridge differences and work toward their shared interests and goals?
The crisis in American education demands our urgent attention. But with the right curriculum, expert support, and a robust commitment to balance, we can restore classrooms as places where all students thrive academically and socially.
Stay tuned as we show you how FAIR's American Experience Curriculum is making this vision a reality in schools across the country.
Please donate now to support our groundbreaking educational effort!
With hope and gratitude,
Monica Harris
Executive Director, FAIR For All
FAIR Colorado Presents—Colorado Legislative Review: What bills will impact your civil rights and your right to free speech?
On June 17th at 8pm MDT, join a discussion about why several new Colorado laws may override your Constitutional rights, and what you can do about it.
When Fear Overrides Freedom, Democracy Begins To Die
Join FAIR in Conversation at its next gathering to discuss Facing the Beast: Courage, Faith, and Resistance in a New Dark Age by Naomi Wolf. NY Times best-selling author and celebrated liberal journalist Naomi Wolf chronicles the censorship, surveillance, lies, and violations of individual Constitutional rights that took hold during the Covid era. A decades-long champion of free speech and freedom of the press, Wolf writes a deeply personal and critical reflection that exposes the dangerous descent of global democracies into tyranny, censorship, and totalitarianism that led to her political and spiritual transformation.
Date and Time: June 25th, 2025, 7:00PM ET
FITA Launch ‘Afraid to Speak Freely’ – Survey of freedom of expression in the arts 2025
We’re excited to share our newly released report, Afraid to Speak Freely, which delves deep into the current state of free expression within the arts.
This comprehensive survey of over 480 artists and professionals highlights some alarming trends—most notably, a widespread climate of self-censorship, fear, and professional reprisals. The report underscores the growing pressures to conform ideologically, with many artists now feeling that expressing dissenting views could result in career-ending consequences.
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FAIR Educators Alliance & Other Networks
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Schools also tell kids that their parents are invalid or hateful/toxic, etc. for having a different perspective. Schools undermine parents and have lost the ability to discern true abuse. Having a different opinion is not abusive. When will schools value parents again instead of placing a wedge between the parent and the child? When will resiliency, debate, listening skills be taught again? When will the focus be less on finding and celebrating victims and be more on finding and celebrating those who courageously overcome difficulties?
It is time to stop belittling parents and people the teachers/school don't even know. The trend that schools know more about the child in the classroom than the parent is not healthy. The trend to keep secrets from parents must also end. Most parents are incredibly valuable to their child and will be there for them for the rest of the child's life, not just part of a year in one grade. Estrangement is at an all time high, and I suspect schools are contributing to estrangement. It is not healthy for society.
Monica is a heroine. Also: great porch! Porch Rater: 10/10.