Schools

Change - A teacher from Hebron High School in Carrollton, TX has been put on administrative leave after wearing a pink dress, boots, and hat to work. Students are up in arms about the punitive action taken against Mr. Rachmad Tjachyadi, and have gathered nearly 1,500 signatures on a petition asking to reinstate him immediately. “Libs of TikTok,” an account whose content is often re-posted by right-wing politicians and commentators, posted a video of Mr. Tjachyadi in the outfit on Twitter. “He has been an inspiration to many students, and has created a space where everyone can feel valued and safe,” writes petition starter, Julia Ngo. “He is in no way a pedophile or publicizing a ‘fetish.’”

Pew Research -  A sizable share of public K-12 teachers (41%) say debates over what schools should teach about certain topics have had a negative impact on their ability to do their job. And 71% of teachers say that teachers themselves don’t have enough influence over what’s taught in their local public schools. 

Among teens who are not homeschooled and who say topics related to racism or racial inequality have come up in their classes, more say they feel comfortable (38%) than say they feel uncomfortable (21%) when these topics come up. Views are more evenly split when it comes to sexual orientation or gender identity. Among teens who say these topics have come up in the classroom, similar shares say they feel comfortable (29%) and uncomfortable (33%) when they come up. About one-in-ten teens (8%) say the topic of racism or racial inequality has never come up in any of their classes. Some 14% say the same about sexual orientation or gender identity.