Banned Books, Curriculum Battles: Who Decides What Kids Learn?

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School board meetings across America have transformed into contentious arenas where parents, educators, and activists clash over classroom lessons and library shelves.

In a nation of diverse values and beliefs, who ultimately holds the power to decide what children learn?

The Complex Web of School Authority

The governance of public education in the United States is a complex tapestry woven from local, state, and federal threads. This decentralized structure was a deliberate choice, designed to balance community-level control with broader state and national objectives. However, this very design creates the inherent tensions where today’s curriculum battles erupt.

Local Control: School Boards Hold the Keys

The bedrock of American public education is the local school district, governed by an elected or appointed school board. These boards are the most direct link between a community and its schools, vested with significant power over day-to-day operations.

Delegated authority from the state legislature allows them to perform essential functions such as adopting annual budgets, levying local taxes to fund schools, hiring and overseeing the district superintendent, and setting policies for personnel and student conduct.

Crucially, school boards hold the power to “arrange a course or courses of study” for their schools. This means they make the final decisions on adopting specific curricula, textbooks, and instructional materials that teachers use in the classroom. They are the gatekeepers who approve everything from a new robotics program to an ethnic studies class.

This power, however, isn’t absolute. As governmental bodies, school boards are accountable to the residents who elect them and are legally required to conduct their business in public meetings to ensure transparency. Their authority is also constrained by a web of state and federal laws.

They must adhere to the minimum learning standards set by their state and comply with federal laws that protect students from discrimination and guarantee constitutional rights like freedom of speech.

A pivotal legal limitation emerged from the 1982 Supreme Court case Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico, which established that school boards cannot remove books from school libraries simply because they “dislike the ideas contained in those books.” This precedent draws a critical line between the board’s broad discretion over mandatory classroom curriculum and its more limited power over the voluntary inquiry that takes place in a library.

State Power: The Ultimate Authority

While local boards manage daily operations, the ultimate authority over public education rests with the states. The U.S. Constitution makes no mention of education; therefore, under the 10th Amendment, this power is reserved for the states. Every state constitution guarantees the right to a free public K-12 education, positioning state governments as the lead policymakers.

State governments set the overarching framework within which all local districts must operate. Their key responsibilities include establishing statewide curriculum standards that define what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. They also determine high school graduation requirements, mandate and administer standardized tests to measure student and school performance, and control the licensing and certification of teachers and administrators.

Furthermore, states are a dominant force in school funding, typically providing about 90% of revenues for K-12 education when combined with local sources. Through the legislative process, state representatives and governors can enact laws that directly impact curriculum, such as those restricting the teaching of certain topics or mandating specific instructional approaches.

Federal Influence: Limited but Powerful

The federal government’s role in education is supportive rather than directive. Congress is explicitly prohibited from creating or mandating a national curriculum. Instead, its influence is primarily channeled through two main avenues: providing supplementary funding to states and districts, and enforcing federal laws that protect the constitutional rights of students and staff.

Federal funding, though constituting only a small fraction of total education spending—typically around 8%—is a powerful lever for influencing state policy. This money is distributed through grants aimed at achieving national goals. The largest of these programs is Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which provides billions of dollars to schools serving high numbers of low-income students.

Major reauthorizations of the ESEA have significantly shaped the educational landscape. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 dramatically increased the federal role by mandating annual standardized testing in reading and math and tying funding to test results, which in turn placed immense pressure on states and districts to align their curricula with tested subjects.

Beyond funding, the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice are responsible for enforcing civil rights laws that ensure equal access to education. This includes Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination; and the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection under the law.

A History of Educational Battles

Today’s heated debates over what is taught in schools aren’t new. They’re the modern expression of a long and often turbulent history of conflict over the purpose and content of American public education. From the nation’s founding, questions of “what knowledge is of most worth?” have been at the center of curriculum development.

The current moment is unique, however, in that it represents a powerful convergence of two distinct historical trends: long-running academic debates over teaching methods and deeply rooted public campaigns to control ideological content.

The “Common School” Promise and Reality

The idea of a universal, tax-supported public education system took root in the 19th century with the “common school” movement. Led by reformers like Horace Mann, its proponents argued that educating children from all social classes together would forge a common American culture, prepare citizens for participation in a democracy, and promote social cohesion.

Early curriculum pioneers like Noah Webster developed spellers and readers designed to create a distinctly American language and national identity, separate from British influence.

From its inception, however, this “common” ideal was compromised. In the nation’s early years, schooling was haphazard and largely excluded children based on race, gender, and income. In the South, it was illegal to teach enslaved African Americans to read.

After the Civil War, the establishment of public schools was quickly followed by the imposition of “Jim Crow” laws that mandated racial segregation, creating a separate and profoundly unequal system. Concurrently, many American Indian children were forcibly removed from their families and sent to federally run boarding schools designed to strip them of their native cultures and assimilate them into white society.

This history of exclusion and assimilation is a critical backdrop to contemporary debates over whose stories, histories, and cultures are centered in the curriculum.

The “Curriculum Wars” of the 20th Century

Throughout the 20th century, the content and methods of teaching were subjects of intense debate, often pitting educational “progressives” against “traditionalists.” Progressives championed hands-on, student-centered learning, while traditionalists emphasized content mastery and foundational skills.

These arguments intensified during periods of national crisis. The Great Depression prompted a reexamination of whether schools were preparing students for adult life, and the Cold War-era launch of Sputnik sparked a national push to strengthen science and math education.

These simmering tensions boiled over into the “Curriculum Wars” of the 1990s. Fierce public battles erupted in four key subjects:

Reading: Proponents of “whole language,” which emphasizes learning to read through exposure to authentic texts, clashed with advocates for phonics and systematic, code-based instruction.

Math: New standards from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics de-emphasized rote computation in favor of problem-solving and conceptual understanding, sparking a backlash from parents and mathematicians who feared a decline in basic skills.

Science: Debates raged between advocates for hands-on, project-based inquiry and those who prioritized the direct teaching of scientific content and facts.

History: Multiculturalists, who argued for a curriculum that devoted more attention to the nation’s sins and the experiences of marginalized groups, fought with traditionalists who accused them of promoting an unpatriotic, ideological agenda.

What made the 1990s different was the rise of the standards and accountability movement. When states began tying standardized test scores to rewards and sanctions for schools under laws like No Child Left Behind, the curriculum was no longer just an academic matter—it became a high-stakes political issue.

A Parallel History of Censorship

Running parallel to these pedagogical debates is a long and potent American tradition of public censorship. The first known book ban on American soil occurred in 1637, when Puritan authorities in Massachusetts banned Thomas Morton’s New English Canaan for its critique of their society.

While early censorship was sporadic, it became more systematic with the passage of the federal Comstock Law in 1873, which criminalized the mailing of “obscene” materials, a broad category that included information about contraception.

Throughout American history, censorship has been a tool for enforcing social, political, and racial orthodoxies:

Political and Social Control: Before the Civil War, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s influential anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was banned across the South by pro-slavery forces who feared its power to sway public opinion.

Control of the Historical Narrative: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, pro-Confederate groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy waged successful campaigns to ban history textbooks that did not align with their “Lost Cause” narrative, which sought to downplay the role of slavery in the Civil War.

Moral Panics: The early 20th century saw waves of challenges against modernist authors like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce, whose works were labeled “salacious” for their realistic depictions of sexuality and the grim realities of war.

These historical episodes reveal that the act of banning a book is rarely just about the book itself. It’s a proxy battle over larger social anxieties and a struggle for control over the narratives that shape a generation’s understanding of history, morality, and identity.

The Current Crisis: Unprecedented Scale and Organization

While curriculum debates and book censorship have a long history in the U.S., the period since 2021 has been marked by a surge in challenges that is unprecedented in its scale, organization, and intensity. Data from library and free-speech organizations reveals a coordinated, national movement that has transformed school libraries and classrooms into the primary battlegrounds of a broader culture war.

The Numbers Tell the Story

The statistics compiled by the American Library Association and PEN America paint a stark picture of this escalation. In 2022, the ALA documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and materials, the highest number since the organization began tracking more than two decades ago and nearly double the 729 challenges from 2021. These challenges targeted a record 2,571 unique titles.

PEN America, which tracks bans in public school classrooms and libraries, recorded a similar explosion. In the 2022–23 school year, the organization logged 3,362 instances of book bans, a 33% increase from the previous year. This trend continued to accelerate, with PEN America documenting over 10,000 instances of school book bans during the 2023–2024 academic year.

These bans are heavily concentrated geographically. During the 2022-23 school year, over 40% of all bans recorded by PEN America occurred in Florida school districts. Texas, Missouri, Utah, and Pennsylvania followed as the states with the next highest numbers of bans. In the 2023-2024 school year, Florida and Iowa led the nation, with each state recording thousands of book ban instances.

What Books Are Under Attack

The data reveals a clear and consistent pattern in the types of books being targeted. Overwhelmingly, challenges are directed at books written by or about people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. A PEN America analysis of the 2023-24 school year found that 36% of banned books featured characters or people of color, and 29% included LGBTQ+ characters or themes.

The most common justifications cited for these challenges are that the material is “sexually explicit,” contains “offensive language,” or is “unsuited to any age group.” However, free-speech advocates argue that this language is often used as a pretext to target books dealing with topics like sexual assault, puberty, health, and identity.

For example, the ALA’s list of the top 10 most challenged books of 2024 is dominated by titles with LGBTQ+ content, such as Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer and George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue, or books by authors of color that deal with race and sexual abuse, like Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye.

PEN America’s analysis found that while proponents of bans often use hyperbolic rhetoric about “porn in schools,” only 13% of the 4,218 unique titles banned in 2023-24 described sexual experiences “on the page.”

From Individual Parents to Organized Campaigns

Perhaps the most significant feature of the current wave of censorship is the shift in who is initiating the challenges. Historically, most challenges came from a single parent raising a concern about a single book. Today, the landscape is dominated by organized advocacy groups and political pressure.

According to the ALA, in 2024, 72% of demands to censor books were initiated by pressure groups and government entities, including elected officials and school board members; parents accounted for only 16% of challenges.

Groups like Moms for Liberty have become highly effective at mobilizing members to challenge books. Their strategy often involves circulating extensive lists of targeted books, frequently sourced from partisan websites like BookLooks, and then presenting these lists at school board meetings to demand the mass removal of dozens or even hundreds of titles at once.

This tactic is designed to overwhelm a district’s established review process, which is typically built to handle individual book challenges in a deliberative manner. By creating an administrative crisis, these groups can pressure districts to pull all challenged books from shelves pending a lengthy review, effectively achieving a temporary ban without a formal decision.

Case Studies from the Front Lines

Central York, Pennsylvania

In 2021, the Central York School District became a national flashpoint after its school board banned a list of over 300 books and educational resources. The list, which had been compiled by a district diversity committee in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, consisted largely of works by and about people of color.

The ban sparked immediate and sustained protests organized by students, particularly members of the Panther Anti-Racist Union, a student group founded to promote diversity and equity. With signs and daily protests, the students, supported by teachers and community members, drew local and national media attention to the district’s actions.

The intense public pressure proved successful, and the school board voted to reverse the ban in September 2021. The Central York case stands as a powerful example of student-led activism successfully pushing back against censorship.

Indian River County, Florida

The situation in Indian River County highlights the potent combination of organized activism and new state legislation. At a school board meeting, members of Moms for Liberty—including individuals from outside the state—advanced an extreme interpretation of a new state law, HB1069.

They argued that if a public reading of a passage from a challenged book was interrupted by an objection, the book must be automatically removed from school libraries. By coordinating a series of interruptions during the public comment period, the group successfully subverted the district’s established review procedures.

This tactic led to the removal of numerous books, including Alan Gratz’s Ban This Book, a novel about a fourth-grader who starts a secret library of banned books. A district review committee had recommended retaining the book, but the school board voted 3-2 to override the committee and ban it, arguing that the book taught children how to defy book bans.

North East Independent School District, Texas

In December 2021, North East ISD in San Antonio pulled 414 books from its library shelves for review. The district stated it was using a list of 850 books compiled by State Representative Matt Krause as a “jumping off point” to weed out “obscene or vulgar material.”

After a months-long review, the district announced the permanent removal of 110 titles. However, the justifications provided were not obscenity but reasons such as “poor professional reviews” or being “superseded by a book with more positive reviews on a similar subject.”

The ACLU of Texas sent a letter to the district arguing that this was a clear case of unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination, as Krause’s list and the district’s removals disproportionately targeted books with LGBTQ+ themes and characters, as well as those dealing with race and racism.

The Legal and Philosophical Battle Lines

The intense conflicts over books and curriculum are fueled by deeply held, and often competing, legal and philosophical principles. The debate pits the fundamental right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing against the principles of intellectual freedom and the professional judgment of educators.

At its core, this is a constitutional balancing act, revolving around different interpretations of the First Amendment’s application within public schools. The legal battleground is largely defined by the tension between the Free Exercise Clause, which protects parents’ religious beliefs, and the Free Speech Clause, which protects a student’s right to receive information.

The First Amendment in Schools

The U.S. Supreme Court has addressed student rights multiple times, creating a framework that is both foundational and, in some areas, ambiguous. Two landmark cases are central to the current debate.

The first is Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969). In this case, the Court famously declared that students and teachers do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” The ruling affirmed that students have the right to express their views as long as their expression does not “materially and substantially disrupt” the educational environment.

The second, and more directly relevant, case is Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico (1982). This case arose after a school board removed nine books from its junior high and high school libraries, calling them “anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Semitic, and just plain filthy.”

In a fractured but significant decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment limits a school board’s power to remove books from school libraries. Justice William Brennan, in the plurality opinion, wrote that while school boards have broad discretion over curriculum, their discretion “may not be exercised in a narrowly partisan or political manner.”

He concluded that boards cannot remove books from library shelves “simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books.” The ruling established the school library as a place for “voluntary inquiry,” distinct from the compulsory nature of the classroom.

The Case for Parental Rights

The argument for greater parental control is rooted in the belief that parents have the primary and fundamental right to direct the moral, religious, and educational upbringing of their children. This view is supported by a century of legal precedent, including Supreme Court cases like Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925), which declared that “the child is not the mere creature of the state.”

Advocacy groups central to the current movement, such as Moms for Liberty and Parents Defending Education, frame their mission as a defense of these rights against what they see as government overreach. They argue that public schools have been co-opted by activists promoting harmful agendas and are “indoctrinating” children with ideologies related to gender identity, critical race theory, and sexuality that conflict with their family values.

They contend that certain materials are not age-appropriate and that their removal is a necessary measure to protect children’s innocence.

A key pillar of the parental rights movement is the demand for greater curriculum transparency and the ability for parents to opt their children out of specific lessons or materials. This position received a significant boost from the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor.

In that case, the Court ruled that a Maryland school district could not deny religious parents the right to opt their elementary school children out of reading assignments featuring LGBTQ-themed storybooks, holding that mandatory exposure burdened the parents’ First Amendment right to the free exercise of their religion.

While the Court did not grant parents a blanket veto over curriculum, the decision has emboldened efforts to seek individualized exemptions from instruction on a range of topics, from evolution to sex education.

The Case for Intellectual Freedom

In opposition, a broad coalition of educators, librarians, civil liberties groups, and other parent organizations champions the principle of intellectual freedom. This argument holds that a robust public education in a diverse democracy requires free and open access to a wide range of information and ideas.

Proponents of this view, including the American Federation of Teachers and the National Council of Teachers of English, assert the professional expertise of educators and librarians in selecting age-appropriate, high-quality instructional materials. They argue that curriculum should be based on evidence-based educational research and designed to foster critical thinking, not to conform to any single political or religious viewpoint.

Organizations like the American Library Association defend the unique role of the library as a “forum for information and ideas.” They maintain that a library’s responsibility is to provide materials presenting “all points of view on current and historical issues,” and that materials should not be removed because of “partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”

The choice of what to read, they argue, is a personal one that belongs to the reader and their family, not to pressure groups or government officials seeking to impose their views on the entire community.

Furthermore, groups like the National Parents Union argue that the majority of parents oppose book bans and support teaching diverse and inclusive history. They contend that for students to become prepared citizens, they must be exposed to varied perspectives.

Banning books that reflect the lived experiences of marginalized groups not only harms those students by denying them representation but also harms all students by limiting their opportunity to develop empathy and a nuanced understanding of the world.

The Real-World Impact: Students, Teachers, and Communities

The escalating battles over books and curriculum extend far beyond the confines of school board meetings, creating tangible and often detrimental consequences for students, educators, and the communities they serve. This intense political pressure creates a chilling effect that narrows educational opportunities, demoralizes the teaching profession, and deepens societal divisions.

Limiting Student Learning and Development

The most direct impact of book bans is on students’ intellectual and emotional development. Educators and child development experts argue that removing access to diverse and challenging literature fundamentally limits learning. When books that grapple with complex themes like racism, injustice, and identity are removed, students lose invaluable opportunities to develop critical thinking skills, analyze different perspectives, and build empathy.

A 2023 survey by First Book found that 36% of educators believe book bans discourage critical thinking.

The harm is particularly acute for students from marginalized backgrounds. The disproportionate targeting of books featuring characters of color and LGBTQ+ individuals sends a powerful message of exclusion. For these students, seeing their own lives and histories reflected in literature is crucial for developing a sense of belonging and self-worth.

When these stories are erased from library shelves, it can intensify feelings of invisibility and isolation.

While proponents of bans often claim to be acting in students’ best interests, students themselves frequently feel their voices are ignored. Interviews with high school students reveal that many feel they are mature enough to handle controversial topics and are frustrated by adults making decisions about their education without their input.

The “Chilling Effect” on Educators

The contentious climate has created immense pressure on teachers and librarians, resulting in a pervasive “chilling effect” that stifles academic freedom and harms the teaching profession. The constant threat of public attacks, parental complaints, and administrative reprisals leads many educators to practice self-censorship.

A First Book survey found that 46% of educators report that the conversation around book bans influences the titles they choose for their classes, and 37% say it affects how they teach. Fearing controversy, teachers may avoid complex historical events, sensitive social issues, or any book that might land on a “banned” list, resulting in a blander, less rigorous curriculum for all students.

This environment is taking a severe toll on teacher morale and retention. The First Book study revealed that 71% of educators feel that book banning undermines their professional expertise, makes them feel distrusted, and increases their stress.

Principals report that it has become significantly more difficult to recruit and retain staff in a climate where they feel constantly under attack. Aspiring educators entering the field express deep concern and frustration, fearing they will be legally barred from teaching the very literature that inspired them.

Community Polarization and Eroded Trust

The curriculum battles have spilled out of schools and into the wider community, exacerbating political polarization and eroding the vital trust between parents and public schools. School board meetings have become flashpoints for anger and division, sometimes involving threats and harassment directed at board members and educators.

Research indicates these conflicts are often most intense in politically diverse “purple” communities, where national culture war issues are mapped onto local school governance.

This contentious atmosphere frays the social fabric of communities and undermines public education as a shared civic institution. The rhetoric of “indoctrination” fosters deep distrust of teachers and administrators, transforming a collaborative partnership into an adversarial relationship.

Social media often acts as an accelerant, amplifying local disputes into national controversies and reinforcing ideological divides. This erosion of trust not only makes it harder for schools to educate students effectively but also weakens one of the foundational institutions of American democracy.

How Citizens Can Engage Effectively

Navigating the complex world of education governance can be daunting, but effective civic engagement begins with understanding the system and participating in its formal processes. While protests and public awareness campaigns play a role, the most direct influence on school policy comes from engaging with the established procedures of local control.

Finding Your District and School Board

The first step toward engagement is identifying who is in charge of your local schools. Every public school in the U.S. belongs to a specific school district, which is governed by a school board.

How to Find Your District: The most reliable tool for identifying your school district is the National Center for Education Statistics, a part of the U.S. Department of Education. Their Public School District Search tool allows you to find your district by entering your address, city, or county.

Finding Your School Board: Once you have identified your school district, visit its official website. There you will typically find a dedicated section for the “Board of Education” or “School Board.” This section will list the names of the current board members, their contact information, committee assignments, and, most importantly, the schedule of upcoming board meetings.

Large urban districts may have their own dedicated search tools, such as New York City’s “Find a School” portal.

Accessing Curriculum and Instructional Materials

Understanding what is actually being taught in classrooms is essential for informed participation. While a national curriculum is prohibited, states set standards, and local districts adopt specific materials.

Start at the State Level: Your state’s Department of Education website is the best place to find the overarching curriculum standards. Search for terms like “academic standards,” “learning standards,” or “curriculum frameworks.” These documents outline the knowledge and skills students are expected to master in each subject at each grade level.

For example, Texas provides detailed standards for all subjects through its Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills portal.

Check Local District Policies: Your local school district’s website is where you will find information on the specific textbooks, software, and other instructional materials that have been officially adopted to meet the state standards. Look for a “Curriculum & Instruction” department page.

Explore Curriculum Clearinghouses: Several non-profit organizations review and provide access to curriculum materials. The Core Knowledge Foundation offers free, downloadable curriculum materials for Pre-K through Grade 8. Curriculum HQ provides a state-by-state map and links to information on high-quality instructional materials.

Participating in School Board Meetings

School board meetings are the primary venue for public decision-making and are open to all residents. Most boards set aside a specific portion of their meetings for public comment.

Understand the Process: While rules vary by district, there are common procedures for public participation. You will likely need to sign up to speak either before or at the beginning of the meeting. Each speaker is typically given a strict time limit, often three minutes, to address the board.

Know the Rules: Boards can regulate the time, place, and manner of public comment. They can require you to state your name and address, and they can limit comments to items on that meeting’s agenda. It’s important to remember that the public comment period is an opportunity for the board to listen to community input; board members are generally not required to respond to questions or engage in dialogue during this time.

Be an Effective Advocate: To make your voice heard effectively, prepare your remarks in advance to fit the time limit. Be clear, concise, and respectful. Focus your comments on policy and its impact on students. Even if you disagree strongly with the board, maintaining decorum is crucial. Your goal is to place your perspective into the official public record and provide the board members with information to consider as they deliberate on policy decisions.

The battles over books and curriculum reflect deeper questions about democracy, diversity, and the role of public education in American society. Understanding the complex governance structure, the historical context, and the current legal and political dynamics is essential for anyone who wants to engage meaningfully in these debates.

Whether you’re a parent concerned about your child’s education, a teacher navigating new restrictions, or a citizen invested in your community’s schools, knowledge of how the system actually works is your most powerful tool for making your voice heard in these consequential decisions about what the next generation will learn.

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