In this talk I present the results of a study of Americans’ attitudes about political socialization in public schools. Using data from a nationally representative survey conducted in March of 2025, I find that Americans across the political spectrum largely oppose schools attempting to steer students towards either liberal or conservative viewpoints, even if they align with respondents' own. However, a survey experiment reveals Americans are significantly more likely to rate as acceptable teachers’ political disclosures to students when those disclosures are aligned with respondents' own ideological leanings, suggesting that partisans may inconsistently apply their preferences for educational neutrality in forming judgements about individual cases in the classroom. These asymmetries in stakeholder oversight suggest a mechanism by which educational polarization between predominantly liberal and conservative educational settings might be exacerbated. I conclude by discussing implications for public trust in education and avenues for future research.
LEARN! Seminar by Guest Speaker Eric Torres 2 June 2026 15:30 - 16:30
About LEARN! Seminar by Guest Speaker Eric Torres
Starting date
- 2 June 2026
Time
- 15:30 - 16:30
Language
- English
Dr. Eric Torres
Eric Torres studies education, politics, and intergroup conflict. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Segal Center for Academic Pluralism and a research advisor to the Making Caring Common Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His current work focuses on the conceptualization and measurement of political tolerance, educational practices related to teaching controversial issues, and other topics related to civic life under conditions of political polarization. His work has been covered by The Washington Post, NPR, The Atlantic, and other outlets. Eric holds a PhD and an EdM from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis.