Teacher Appreciation Week this year is taking place under a shadow of uncertainty for those navigating political waters while trying to ensure students get the education they need.

K-12 schools are navigating book bans and running into state laws barring diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and transgender athletes.

College professors are watching as billions of dollars in research funding gets frozen.

And, increasingly, children and parents are being called on to report teachers they feel may be in violation of new policies to the authorities.

A teacher from California, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject, told The Hill her colleagues are no longer teaching the classic American novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" because “it’s too racially charged.”

Educators are “avoiding” hard topics, she said, “because they don't know which parents are going to get angry.”

"They become very kind of angry and activist, and it's really hard to navigate right now. It's just uncertain,” she added.

Pressures on teachers have come from the federal, state and local levels, creating a precarious situation for schools across the country.

The Education Department recently created an “anti-DEI” portal where parents and concerned members of community can report what the federal agency describes as illegal practices in classrooms.

The portal came on the heels of a certification........

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