America’s New ABC’s: Academic Antics, Book Banning, and Censorship Clownery
America’s New ABC’s: Academic Antics, Book Banning, and Censorship Clownery
America’s educational system is under attack from within as books are banned, censorship is on the rise, hate runs amok, and laws are passed limiting what can be taught within academic institutions. The American Library Association reported that between January 1 and August 31, 2024, 1,128 unique titles were targeted for censorship. Such attacks sabotage intellectual freedom, innate curiosity, critical thinking, scientific literacy, and self-edification. Any one of these is detrimental to society, but taken in total, it leads to the dismantling of a democratic republic. This is not hyperbole.
History: The Department of Education has deep roots as it was created by President Andrew Johnson in 1867. Its purpose then and now is to collect information on schools and teaching to help states establish uniform effective school systems. Today’s mission of the Federal role in education is still forward thinking: It seeks to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.”
Consider: Project 2025 (the detailed blueprint for the next Republican president) and Agenda 47 (the manifesto of the Republican presidential candidate) both plan for a total overhaul of the education system in the United States, from kindergarten through college. Both seek to eliminate accreditors and federal regulators in favor of state governors and legislators remaking education that favors ideological whims of the states. If this sounds a lot like reproductive healthcare across America, it’s because it is.
Consequences: These plans would eliminate standardized curricula across the states. Imagine yourself or your child going to school in one state and then moving to another state, but once in your new environment, you discover that you are not prepared. Or, think about entrance exams for college or graduate school. Or think about being educated in one state and then being under-prepared for college-level courses in another state. Like healthcare, there are universal advantages to standardization.
Consider: Relative to higher education, currently institutions are accredited by non-partisan education professionals, who evaluate whether colleges and universities are meeting educational standards. When standards are not met, this forces institutions of higher education to fix the problems or lose accreditation. Losing accreditation is a big problem because the faulty school may close, lose federal funding, or cause issues for students transferring credit to other schools. Unaccredited degrees may not be accepted by employers or graduate schools. However, this correcting model ensures that degrees earned by students are meaningful and legitimate, no matter where the live or move.
Consequences: Weakening accreditation allows political interests to shape curricula. Teachers, who are professionals in their discipline, not politicians, should be in charge of course design and delivery.
Consider: Current legislative attacks erode academic freedom and place gag orders on so-called “divisive topics.”
Consequences: Bills and laws are proposed and passed by legislators, who have no expertise in the content area. Students are robbed of learning.
The attack on science by Republican leaders continues, most recently in regard to the CHIPS and Science Act. Last week, Trump publicly stated (verbatim), “That CHIP deal is so bad.” House speaker, Mike Johnson, reported that Republicans will repeal the act if they have a majority in Congress. The CHIPS and Science Act, passed in 2022, has created thousands of jobs in the United States. Moreover, as the National Science Foundation (NSF) proclaims, “The act authorizes historic investments in curiosity-driven, exploratory research and use-inspired, translational research. These investments will advance the most innovative ideas across all areas of science and engineering— accelerating their translation to solutions for today's challenges and tomorrow's — at speed and scale.” The mission of the NSF is to advance scientific progress. Historically, the United States has been the leader in scientific advancement. One reason is because we have the best institutions of education and research. Hands-down.
Lastly, a personal story. There are over 4,000 degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States. As a science professor, textbook author, public presenter, and past president of an international scientific society, I’ve had the privilege of visiting countless college campuses from coast to coast and border to border, developing relationships with other authors and hundreds of professors. These are people who share a common vision of educating our future healthcare providers, teachers, researchers, and anybody who wants to learn. But I was taken aback last year when I had to justify whether or not the latest edition of an anatomy & physiology textbook that I author aligned with a particular state’s laws regarding reproductive anatomy, physiology, gender, sexual activity, hormones, and chromosomes. This was clearly a case in which the law was counter to the science. I didn’t know where to begin with writing my justification because what was written in the law was nonsense. Imagine reading a recipe for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with instructions that began something like, “after boiling the water for the bread, smear on the cinnamon sugar.” This is where we are, Folks.