Why There Should Be No Flags in Schools

As a child of a Holocaust survivor, I know the power of symbols. For me, the Israeli flag represents hope, resilience and the story of our ancient people who continue to thrive in the face of hatred and violence. At a time when antisemitism is rising in America, seeing the shield of David feels reassuring, even protective. I know many Jewish families feel the same way.

But does that mean that schools should display the Israeli flag as a sign of welcome and reassurance for Jewish students? As an educator who cares deeply about creating healthy and truly inclusive learning environments for all students, I believe the answer is, firmly, no. No flags, other than the American flag, should appear in classrooms. Schools must stay neutral, both because it’s good for America and because neutrality will ultimately protect our own kids from indoctrination by bad actors in the schools.

Recently, the Beverly Hills school board faced controversy after it moved to support Jewish students with a resolution called Combating Antisemitism through Education, Awareness, Remembrance and Support, which included the decision to “display the Jewish Israeli flag at each school and facility” to “signify support for the Jewish community.” In response, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) sent out a call to action to followers to urge the board to remove the flag because it stands for genocide of the Palestinian people. Under pressure, the board unanimously rescinded the resolution, citing “threats and disruptions” and clarified that it would not be flying the Israeli flag outside on a flagpole. It then adopted a new resolution: a neutral policy allowing only official flags — the U.S., California, city, district and school site flags — while prohibiting all others.

We should broadly condemn CAIR’s despicable and patently false claims of Israeli genocide and other rhetoric designed to end the display of the flag. At the same time, we should also welcome the board’s resolution of neutrality. This principle of neutrality serves students better than a learning environment in a constant battle over competing symbols and political doctrines. 

Neutrality, however, should not stop at the flagpole. Inside classrooms, flags tied to political messages, including the flags of other nations, should be displayed only for educational purposes — for example, in a language or social studies classroom when the topic of discussion is that country. Beyond that, political symbols have no place on classroom walls or in the schoolhouse. 

Any display of a political flag in a school risks dividing the very students it aims to unite and undermines the very purpose of education. When teachers display political symbols, they send a message — intentionally or not — that a side has been chosen. That kind of signaling can chill open inquiry and discourse. Schools should be laboratories of ideas — places where students wrestle with complexity and experiment with competing viewpoints. Students who see a political symbol on the wall — such as a raised fist or a confederate flag — may hesitate to speak freely. They may censor themselves out of fear that their perspective runs against the prevailing view. That is the opposite of what education should cultivate in our students.

Despite a school’s good intentions to create an inclusive space, symbols meant to affirm or welcome one identity group can signal exclusion to others. The Israeli flag, for example, represents identity, resilience and connection to history. But it is also the flag of a sovereign nation, bound up in political controversy and international conflicts. A similar tension exists with other symbols, such as the rainbow flag. To some, it communicates acceptance and safety; to others, it signals that the school has taken a stance on ongoing cultural battles. When classrooms endorse symbols with political weight, they inevitably create an in-group and an out-group. Consistent neutrality is the only way to preserve an open and truly inclusive environment.

If not flags, what should decorate the walls and halls of our classrooms? When I was teaching, I thought carefully about this issue. I wanted my students — diverse in background, identity and opinion — to see messages that were inspiring, unifying, and thought-provoking. Children spend hours staring at posters on classroom walls, absorbing their messages and internalizing what they see every day. That is why I filled my room with posters to spark both thought and courage: “I am stronger than fear” (Malala Yousafzai); “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it” (Toni Morrison); “Nothing will work unless you do” (Maya Angelou). These kinds of universal messages seep in. They remind students of what they need to succeed — resilience, imagination and hard work.

If we open the door for our perspectives to be highlighted in one school setting, that opens the door to radical activists who want their political views and symbols to be put up in bright lights.

At a personal level, I love seeing the Israeli flag wherever and whenever it appears. It’s chicken soup for my Jewish soul. But schools cannot be governed by the feelings they generate in some people. We need to insist on neutrality, even when we have strong preferences for advancing our own identity, viewpoint or cause. Because if we open the door for our perspectives to be highlighted in one school setting, that opens the door to radical activists who want their political views and symbols to be put up in bright lights. We can’t fight in favor of displaying the Israeli flag in one classroom and fight against displaying the Palestinian flag in another. And given the demographics, we will surely end up with more of the latter than the former. 

The United States flag represents our shared civic community. It stands for pluralism, individual liberty and opportunity for all. It reminds us that, despite our differences, we are bound by shared democratic values and institutions. That is the kind of message that schools across our nation must get behind. 

Dana Stangel-Plowe, an educator and attorney, serves as Chief Program Officer at North American Values Institute (NAVI).