State University of New York College at Cortland School of Education Statement on Censorship in PK-16 Education
In response to recent attacks on teachers and academic freedom, the faculty and staff of the School of Education at SUNY Cortland stand with teachers in their efforts to combat censorship. Teachers are trained, certified professionals who deserve the public's respect and trust to make good decisions about what they teach and how.
More specifically, we believe that it is the responsibility of educators, in cooperation with caregivers, to prepare students to be informed, compassionate, active citizens. Students deserve the opportunity to engage in challenging conversations about the complexities of the world they live in, even if—especially if—some people find those conversations controversial.
As SUNY Cortland teacher educators, we provide future teachers with the skills they need to make good decisions about what is taught. We teach our graduates to follow professional standards and ethics. Through their coursework and clinical experiences in schools, our graduates have come to understand that classrooms and libraries are among the best places to learn about our rich history and current issues.
Therefore, preventing censorship is a central part of every educator's mission. As such, we stand against anti-democratic attacks on educators and support them in their essential work.