How Book Bans Impact Educators and Students

A survey of more than 1,500 educators on the national conversation around book challenges and bans is negatively impacting their classrooms, profession, and student learning.

• •7% of educators have removed books from their classroom or program library due to book bans or challenges; more than twice that indicate they have removed books for other reasons.
• •87% of educators surveyed believe book bans are rarely or never justified.
• •65% of educators said that the banning of books is having a negative impact on their ability to teach.
• •71% of educators, regardless of whether their district has faced bans, believe book banning undermines their expertise, makes them feel distrusted, and increases their stress.
• •Nearly two-thirds of educators said that book banning is having a negative impact on their ability to teach.

Encouraging freedom of choice and discussing banned books with students positively influences their willingness to initiate discussions about banned books and enhances their engagement in reading.

• •Just over 40% of educators indicated that they are having conversations with their students about banned books.
• •31% of educators reported that students are initiating these conversations.
• •78% of educators indicated that students are reading more when banned books are available as an option.
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