NCATE: Encouragement of Political Litmus Tests in Higher Education

Case Materials

  • "Victory for Freedom of Conscience in Education Schools," FIRE Press Release, June 6, 2006: Would-be teachers have less to fear from political litmus tests today. Yesterday, under pressure from FIRE and other groups, the president of NCATE, a leading accreditor of education schools, said that his organization would drop the vague and politically loaded recommendation that education students demonstrate a belief in “social justice” in order to graduate.
  • "FIRE Statement on NCATE’s Encouragement of Political Litmus Tests in Higher Education," June 5, 2006
  • "FIRE Warns Department of Education Against Supporting Political Litmus Tests on Campus," FIRE Press Release, June 5, 2006: Today, Greg Lukianoff, the president of FIRE, will urge a Department of Education committee to take action against unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination in schools of education.  FIRE believes that the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is abusing its power as a governmentally-authorized accreditor of education schools to promote the use of politically loaded "dispositions." NCATE's recognition as an authorized accreditor is being reviewed today by a committee of the Department of Education, and FIRE will be in Washington to warn the committee that NCATE's endorsement of "dispositions" poses a real and grave threat to freedom of conscience at our nation's schools of education.

Media Coverage

  • "Accreditor of Education Schools Drops Controversial 'Social Justice' Language," Paula Wasley, The Chronicle of Higher Education, June 16, 2006:  
  • "Group drops 'social justice' rule for teachers," The Detroit News, June 10, 2006: Political correctness in education suffered another defeat this week when the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education dropped its vague but politically loaded recommendation that education students show a belief in "social justice" to graduate. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and others pressured the group to do so, particularly because the accreditation council influences a lot of schools of education.
  • "Paying an ideological ransom for the right to teach," John Leo, USNews.com, June 7, 2006: The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) entered the case and got action. FIRE complained to the Department of Education that there is no way an ed school can evaluate a student's commitment to social justice without evaluating that student's politics. NCATE backed down and agreed to drop the social justice requirement.
  • "A Spirited Disposition Debate," Elia Powers, Inside Higher Ed, June 6, 2006: “One of the reasons for me being here today has become moot,” said Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. “I applaud what NCATE has done today; it’s a step in the right direction.”