Many parents are now facing a decision they could never have fathomed years earlier, namely deciding whether to tolerate policies and curriculum they disagree with in the public school or finding an alternative school nearby that refrains from this kind of behavior.
Over the course of the last year and a half, parents have gained firsthand knowledge of policies and curricula because their children were learning from home. Many parents became more involved in their children’s education for the first time. We are a society that has just blindly trusted the “system,” thinking our government and educators knew what was best. We have silently put their judgment ahead of our own without awareness of the consequences.
We have learned that government funding dictates school policy, evident in the strict enforcement of mask wearing policies resulting in disciplinary action. At school board meetings, parents have presented research regarding school budgets, revealing how much the school district received for mask wearing compliance.
We have also been surprised to learn that students are required to learn a divisive narrative about racism that compels them to take a stance about the color of their skin, and wrongs they’ve committed simply by being born with a certain skin color. Discovering that one’s eight-year-old child is being taught he or she should feel guilty and has committed wrongdoing based on genetics is mind blowing for parents. Many feel that values, morals, and belief systems are their responsibility and not the type of content that should be imparted by schoolteachers.
A few years ago, when the administration appeared to be favoring charter schools over public schools, suggesting that the funds provided to public schools should follow the students, parents, teachers, school boards, teacher associations, etc. were in an uproar over the suggestion we tare down a long standing system built for the betterment of our children. Here we are now with a greater understanding of the control system and what it means to empower public schools with our tax dollars.
If our tax dollars are tied to our children, schools must change to earn those dollars, giving the people control how their children are educated, not the government nor the school district. We don’t to see our public school systems destroyed to make improvements in policy and curriculum; we only need to provide an incentive for schools to earn our tax dollars. Policies and curricula can be changed to focus on giving children the skills they need to grow and thrive without involvement in the responsibilities that should be left to parents.
From this conflict, we hope to see change, change that will teach our children to stand up for their rights, embrace freedom, and take pride in who they are. A society that cares about its children and helping the community flourish will support change that defends the rights of parents and their children, not the tyranny imposed by political figures and organizations that do not have the best interests of the people at heart.
