Finding Support for Opposing Censorship: Resources from the National Council of Teachers of English

By Sarah Miller,

Senior Coordinator of Book Initiatives, NCTE

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has long devoted attention to intellectual freedom in education. With the volume of work that NCTE does and the multiple demands on educators, it is not always possible to remain up to date on all that is available. This post aims to inform you about how we provide support and to connect you to the resources that are most useful to you.

The Intellectual Freedom Center is NCTE’s support hub for teachers facing censorship and advocating for intellectual freedom in education. Its guiding principle is that all students have the right to materials and education experiences that promote open inquiry, critical thinking, diversity in thought and expression, and respect for others. The work has long been grounded also in The Students’ Right to Read position statement. Our resources bring these ideals to fruition by supporting educators and students to fulfil the goals of access to education as foundational to a democratic society.

NCTE uses four methods to support intellectual freedom:

Advocate: Position statements and resolutions are created and updated by NCTE members, reviewed extensively, and voted on by NCTE leaders to become solidified. They are publicly available and indicate NCTE’s official positions on various issues. Censorship is just one theme among many for these documents, but it is one that is requested and used widely. Our position statements and resolutions are referenced by teachers, libraries, districts, news outlets, and more. We encourage you to become familiar with those most relevant to you and use excerpts anywhere they may be useful.

Support: In addition to leading the way with advocacy documents, NCTE also proactively provides resources to educators. The most important of which is the first of its kind book rationale database. There are more than 1,400 rationales available – a number that continues to grow – and all are created and reviewed by other teachers. Titles include classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Bluest Eye as well as newer titles like The Hate U Give and Milo Imagines the World. There are books for readers grades Pre-K through 12+. Sections of the rationale include book information like plot summaries and Lexile levels, what standards the text meets, suggested teaching approaches, potential for censorship challenge, settings teachers recommend using the text for, and additional resources that expand educators’ options for deepening understanding of the text and related subject matters.

Respond: The Intellectual Freedom Center receives and responds to censorship reports. Anyone is welcome to fill out a school censorship report. The concerns and challenges are reviewed and cataloged. If needed or requested, NCTE will curate appropriate resources. We also document the types of challenges and escalate as needed. Escalation looks different depending on the circumstances of the report and membership status, but all the information is useful for helping us to continue to evolve the work of intellectual freedom in education.

Partner: NCTE has a formal partnership with the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC). We collaboratively to create resources and consult on individual cases with permission. We also sign dozens of letters annually that are sent to schools and districts to express concern or support for best practices for book selection, book reviews, and policy updates. NCTE is also a long-time member of the Banned Books Week Coalition, has a long working relationship with the American Library Association and their Office for Intellectual Freedom, and is a close partner in the Unite Against Book Bans campaign. PEN America is another close partner in the fight against censorship, sharing resources, expertise, and opportunities. NCTE works closely with state and regional affiliates, like WPCTE, to further this cause. And we have close relationships with publishers, authors, and many other organizations doing intellectual freedom work.

For those of you attending the WPCTE conference next month, I will share additional information there about NCTE’s resources, including at breakout sessions focusing on rationale creation and use. I am also happy to answer any questions or provide additional support. You can reach me at IntellectualFreedom@ncte.org.

Thank you for the work you do to support students and literacy every day. It is seen, honored, and appreciated.