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Understand your rights when speaking up for public education and our students.
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Legal & Employment Guidance

Educator Rights to Create an Inclusive Classroom

Educators often use decorations to set the tone for their classrooms, school buses, lunchrooms, and other workspaces.
a black girl hangs a poster with a rainbow that says love on it
Published: 04/05/2023

Educators often use decorations to set the tone for their classrooms, school buses, lunchrooms, and other workspaces. You can use your work environment to show support for students of all backgrounds—for example, by hanging a Black Lives Matter poster or Pride flag or making clear that you will use a student’s personal gender pronouns.

However, schools can control these messages, which are on school property and part of a teacher’s job. And displays that include religious, political, or controversial messages raise particular concerns and you should not post them unless there is a clear district policy allowing those or similar displays.

“When someone doesn’t learn about LGBTQ topics in school, they’re not going to think of this community as a common, expected part of society—and this goes on to form their ideas of what’s socially acceptable.”  

—Samuel Long, a Denver high school teacher

This page is intended to provide general information. For specific advice, you should always contact your local union or attorney. 

Understand your rights when speaking up for public education and our students.

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The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.