In a time when simply carrying out the essential functions of their jobs is a herculean task,
educators have been faced with the additional challenge of addressing contentious,
politicized topics in their schools and classrooms. Drawing from nationally representative
samples of teachers and principals who completed the 2022 State of the American Teacher
and the State of the American Principal surveys and teacher interviews, the authors focus
their analysis on two especially politically salient issues:(1) how to implement COVID-19 …

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted and permeated nearly
all aspects of schooling during the past two years. At the same time, the nation has
experienced a historic racial reckoning, which has called out the US education system's role
in addressing systemic inequities (Howard, 2021; West, 2021; Álvarez, 2021). On top of the
herculean task of carrying out the essential functions of their jobs, educators increasingly
find themselves in the position of addressing contentious, politicized issues in their schools …