The Freedom Factor

There is an absence of Supreme Court cases which address public school teachers' free speech rights in the classroom. The failure of courts to articulate clear standards deters teachers from discussing controversial topics, such as religion, and impacts student learning. A review of literature suggests that public school teachers are leaving religion out of classroom activities even though religion has exercised a significant influence on American life. Furthermore, the literature suggests there is a developing consensus among educators that strict separation of religion from the public school curriculum is counterproductive. No research was found which pertained specifically to teachers' knowledge of the First Amendment and their opinions of religious freedom in public schools. Experts suggest that the reason for the absence of a meaningful presence of religion is teacher confusion regarding court rulings. The research presented in this book is significant because there is a need to understand how much teachers know about their First Amendment rights and how this relates to their opinions about religion in the classroom.