Statement to Educational Associations

Antiracist community organizations urgently call on educational associations to stand up for the right to learn and freedom to teach — and to oppose bullying and censorship of K-12 education by Israel advocacy groups that conflate legitimate and legal criticism of Israel with bigotry and discrimination of Jews.

Bad faith accusations of antisemitism by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis) and others harm the reputations, livelihoods and mental health of antiracist educators. They threaten schools and districts with sanctions. They undermine the free and open exchange of ideas that is essential to learning and democracy. In recent months, the ADL, CAMERA, American Jewish Committee, Jewish Federations of North America and allied organizations have targeted national and state professional educators’ organizations and conferences including the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE), National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and MassCUE, the Massachusetts state affiliate of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Professional educators’ organizations have enormous influence in our schools and, as a result, on our lives — a heavy moral responsibility. They keep educators current in their fields, publish  resources, fund research into new pedagogical approaches to meet the evolving needs of students, and provide crucial collegial support for educators. When school districts give educators time and funding to attend conferences and workshops, they are recognizing the role that professional educators’ organizations hold in trust. The role is to provide resources that align with core principles of education – including equity, diversity, and justice – and space for educators to discuss them together. It is a role that must be defended against cooptation and efforts to undermine those core principles.

Speakers at educators’ conferences that talk about their own life experience as victims of Israeli colonialism, occupation, exile, or genocide or who support the inclusion of Palestinian history and narratives among others explored in school settings are expanding resources available to educators. They are doing a fundamental service by teaching the truth; they are not opposing any religious or cultural groups. We must oppose the relentless smear campaigns of the ADL and its allies – just as we challenge those who would ban books and other opponents of truth-telling.

Increasingly, false allegations of antisemitism are being leveled against Palestinian and other conference speakers, especially educators of color, who criticize Israel. This puts tremendous pressure on conference organizers to apologize, which affirms the false accusations and makes them complicit in anti-Palestinian racism and censorship. Educational organizations at all levels must be able to distinguish between criticism of a nation-state and bigotry or discrimination against Jews or any other people. Like classroom teachers, professional educators’ organizations should promote the exploration of a diversity of perspectives not silence them. This requires recognizing the difference between being uncomfortable when our beliefs are challenged and being unsafe.

Due to the importance of these issues, we pledge, and call upon others to:

  1. Resist politicized bullying intended to compel organizations to compromise their antiracist mandates.
  1. Call out bad faith accusations of antisemitism and lobby decision-makers to support educators and students who are unfairly targeted.
  1. Continue to provide and protect platforms for educators and students whose own backgrounds and/or professional expertise address Israeli colonialism or reflect Palestinian narratives.
  1. Cut ties with the ADL and other anti-Palestinian groups working in K-12 spaces (consider this watchlist).
  1. Strengthen policies and practices, including clarifying and/or developing vetting criteria that prevent the normalization of aggressively political and racist organizations in educational spaces.
  1. Recommit to inquiry education that promotes critical thinking, questioning by students, and constructive engagement with a diversity of ideas rather than censorship.
  1. Participate in actions that respect the freedom to teach, the right to learn, and the mandate to teach truth by resisting attacks on all groups, including African-American, Indigenous, immigrants, LGBTQ+, and others under attack by the racist right.

Signed by:

  1. Arlington (MA) for Palestine
  2. Families for Ceasefire Philly
  3. Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
  4. Jews for Palestinian Right of Return
  5. Jewish Boomers Against Occupation in Palestine
  6. Labor for Palestine National Network
  7. Making Mensches
  8. Muslim Counterpublics Lab
  9. Peace, Justice, Sustainability, NOW!
  10. Raising Luminaries

Click the arrow below for important context about recent events and our analysis that prompted the need for this statement.