Georgia House Bill 1084: What Teachers Can and Can’t Say (And Why It Matters)

If you're a social studies teacher trying to figure out what you're allowed to say in the classroom, this episode is for you. Leah Cleary breaks down Georgia House Bill 1084, the Protect Students First Act, a divisive concepts law that prohibits teachers from teaching or advocating nine specific concepts related to race. But here's the contradiction: the same legislators who passed this education censorship law also approved the Georgia state standards that require teaching about slavery, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement.In this episode, Leah traces the coordinated national campaign behind these laws, shares stunning RAND Corporation research on teacher self-censorship, and offers practical strategies for teaching controversial topics in school while protecting yourself professionally (including primary-source analysis, Socratic seminars, and airtight standards documentation).If fear of complaints is making you second-guess your teaching, you're not alone. And this episode will remind you that you can still do this job well.