90% of Teachers See Negative Trump Effect in Schools

In a new survey of American educators conducted after Election Day, 90 percent of respondents reported that their school’s climate has been negatively affected by the presidential election. The online survey, conducted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, included 10,000 teachers, counselors, administrators, and others from K-12. In an accompanying report, titled “The Trump Effect,” 80 percent of teachers described a feeling of heightened anxiety and concern on the part of students who are worried about the election’s effects on themselves and their families. Forty percent said they witnessed derogatory language being used against marginalized students, including students of color, Muslims, and immigrants. “It is worth noting that many teachers took pains to point out that the incidents they were reporting represent a distinct uptick; these dynamics are new and can be traced directly to the results of the election,” the report says.