“Educators Won’t Be Silent”

So read a headline in a recent article on the resistance by educators against President Trump’s recent executive order designed to drain resources from public schools via vouchers.  Faculty are also typically opposed to the White House’s recent “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.”

Should you be silent in the face of political directions with which you disagree? 

Ideally, we should all be able to publicly voice our opinions in this and other contexts.  However, times are so tough already for faculty in at least some parts of the nation that it may be a good idea to be careful right now, especially if you are not tenured and/or will be seeking promotion soon.  Granted, this feels like giving up to more authoritarian forces, which history has shown not to be a good idea.  But for your own professional future, think twice about what you say and write publicly.  Even though you may be officially entitled to issue certain viewpoints, reality can be different.

If you write about these issues as part of your professional teaching and research area, the risk may be lower.  Still: be careful about what you state.  Consider writing anonymously if you can, especially if your opinions are anti-government and if you are in a conservative part of the nation.  Of course, always make it clear that your opinions are your own, not those of your employer.

If you protest, your face may be recognized, but our right to protest publicly is, after all, still at less risk than stating anything in writing that may come back to haunt you.

It is troublesome that we must think in these ways, but professor jobs are very hard to come by.  Try to think of creative ways in which you can protest what is happening that may not put your career future at risk.  Your promotion and tenure will, after all, be voted on by others.  Unless you are very certain about how those others view you, be careful right now.

Seek a specialized attorney such as Myanna Dellinger to protect your rights.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash.