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This is Fresh Air.

I'm Dave Davies.

School systems around the country are struggling to fill teaching positions as many

choose to leave the profession due to burnout and low pay.

But there's something else making life difficult for public school teachers these

days.

The culture wars that have flared in schools and school boards across the country,

as parents and political activists debate how to teach kids about race, racism, gender

identity and sexuality.

At least 25 states have enacted laws that impose teaching restrictions on those

topics or make it easier to remove books from school libraries.

That means teachers are feeling pressure from parents and administrators and

sometimes facing disciplinary action or the threat of criminal prosecution.

If they fail to conform to new state laws and regulations.

For some perspective on the conflict and its impact, we turn to Hannah

Nathanson, who covers national education issues for the Washington Post and has

written about the educational culture wars in Virginia, Florida and around the

country.

Hannah Nathanson has been with the Washington Post since 2019 and was part of a

team of reporters that won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for the

...