Thursday, March 15, 2001

Contact:
Sheila Owens, First Amendment Center, 212/317-6517
Barbara Gleason, ASCD, 703/578-9600

Nationwide initiative to promote the First Amendment in schools

Survey reveals teachers and administrators wary of giving students too much freedom

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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and the First Amendment Center announced today the launch of "First Amendment Schools," a nationwide initiative designed to transform how public schools model and teach students the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment and citizenship in a democracy.

The announcement coincides with the release of a new survey that reveals educators are willing to support the First Amendment in principle, but are wary of applying it in schools.

"Educators need to be convinced that students can exercise their First Amendment rights with responsibility," said Dr. Gene Carter, executive director of ASCD. "They want students to learn about freedom but are concerned about how students practice freedom — especially in the school setting. This may be due to unfamiliarity among educators about how the First Amendment works and uncertainty about how to teach freedom with responsibility in today's permissive society."

Ken Paulson, executive director of the First Amendment Center, described the new initiative as a "multi-year, national program" with four key objectives:

1. Create consensus guidelines for applying the five freedoms of the First Amendment in public schools.

2. Develop model schools in every region of the nation where First Amendment principles are understood and applied throughout the school culture.

3. Encourage curriculum reforms that reinvigorate and deepen teaching about the First Amendment in civic education.

4. Educate school leaders, teachers, school board attorneys and other stakeholders in public schools in the meaning and significance of First Amendment principles and ideals.

"The guiding principles of the First Amendment stand at the heart of our democracy and at the foundation of citizenship in a diverse society. If we are to sustain this extraordinary experiment in liberty, we must resist our fear of freedom — especially among the young — and work to ensure that our schools become laboratories for democracy," said Paulson.

Concern and uncertainty about how to address First Amendment issues is confirmed by the survey of 900 teachers and 902 administrators conducted by the First Amendment Center and ASCD Jan. 16-31, 2001. Among the findings:

• Although teachers and administrators are better able than the public to recall the five freedoms of the First Amendment, one in five is unable to recall any of the freedoms.

• Most educators (71%) would not allow students to report on controversial issues in school newspapers without approval of school officials.

• A majority of teachers and administrators don't think that students should be allowed to distribute religious or political materials at school.

• Educators (92%) would not allow students to wear T-shirts with a message that some might find offensive.

• Most educators (90%) favored the installation of blocking software on school computers to prevent student access to potentially inappropriate or offensive web sites.

• Most teachers (69%) and many administrators (39%) are "not at all familiar" with the U.S. Department of Education guidelines on student religious expression distributed to every public school in January 2000.

Despite their concerns about specific types of student expression, educators overwhelmingly support student involvement in making decisions about school rules, a practice that would provide an important opportunity for the application of First Amendment principles in schools.

"Given the important interest educators have in discipline and safety, it isn't surprising many teachers and administrators are reluctant to risk a robust application of First Amendment freedoms by students during the school day," said Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the First Amendment Center.

"The findings to this survey pose two key challenges to schools and communities. First, there is an urgent need to reform education about the First Amendment for school officials as well as for students. And second, models must be created to demonstrate that democratic schools framed by First Amendment principles are not risky ventures; they are places of civic responsibility and enhanced learning," Haynes said.

For further information about the First Amendment Schools project, call Mike Wildasin at ASCD (703-578-9600) or Sam Chaltain at the First Amendment Center (703-284-2808).

Founded in 1943, ASCD, an international, nonprofit association, is one of the largest professional development organizations for educator leaders. It provides world-class education information services, offers cutting-edge professional development for effective teaching and learning, and supports activities to provide educational equity for all students. ASCD's 165,000 members reside in more than 140 countries and include principals, teachers, superintendents, professors of education, and other educators.