The Opposition's Three-Prong Attack To Mislead Our Parents
How alt-right parent groups work to undermine our public schools.
Now That the Mid-Term Elections are Complete
Now that the mid-term elections are complete and the results have shaken out, there is much reason for concern in the realm of School Board Elections.
More than 50% of candidates endorsed by the opposition were successful in being elected.
But another disturbing statistic is that 40% of incumbent board members did not even run for re-election.
The opposition’s use of intimidation and the “weaponizing” of ethics complaints have clearly had an impact.
Immediate Impacts on School Boards
We must immediately regroup as the opposition continues escalating attacks on our School Boards and Public Schools. We have already learned that when the radical right has seized control of a School Board, their next move is to immediately fire the current Superintendent (with or without cause) the minute they are sworn in and replace him/her/them with their like-minded minion(s).
South Carolina School Board, dominated by “Moms for Liberty” conservative candidates after this year’s elections, fires the district’s attorney and superintendent without cause. This occurred during the first BOE meeting after the election. Teachers walk out in protest. A replacement superintendent was immediately hired in his place, an action that sitting board members stated they were unaware of. The former superintendent plans to file a lawsuit, stating the six board members violated several laws and school board policy.
So we must continue to engage and educate our parents and residents about the mountain of misinformation being pushed in an attempt to enrage them falsely. They attempt to get them to act and vote based on emotion, not logic.
The opposition continues using three methods to confuse, mislead, and destroy “public education.”
First, the attacks from the right include an effort to use the educational system to tell our children "what" to think when our educational programs should be teaching them "how" to think. It is all about indoctrination by the radical right. That is why their goal is to grab hold of the current curriculum and mold/modify it to their narrow-minded hateful, phobic, and racist viewpoint.
We must present a balanced array of viewpoints to our children to ensure that they develop problem-solving skills. They must learn to take facts, analyze them for accuracy and perform a logical analysis to form their own conclusions. This skill can only be learned by allowing them access to multiple “frames of reference.” This skill is essential to be an effective member of society as an adult.
Second, the most important aspect of our school culture is the collaboration that has always existed between our parents and teachers in promoting the best possible education for our children. These groups intend to drive a wedge between parents and teachers to destroy that relationship. A relationship that is imperative if we are to help our children become well-balanced, caring, and productive members of our society.
That is why they outright lie, calling teachers pedophiles who are grooming our children for sex trafficking. They claim organizations like the NJEA have a liberal conspiratorial agenda to sexualize our children. They want parents to stop trusting the professionals, and they hide their real agenda under the guise of "parental rights.”
Falsely claiming that school boards are denying parents the ability to have input in the educational process. Claiming a lack of transparency yet unable to clarify exactly what they feel is being hidden. For example, they claim a lack of transparency in school curriculums when these are generally posted on School District websites and parents are allowed to comment freely. Some districts have gone so far as to post actual lesson plans online.
Third, the new direction of their attacks is on the concept of "social, emotional learning" (SEL) and “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice” (DEIJ).
When Black Lives Matter (BLM) began as a movement, we started hearing the term Critical Race Theory (CRT) applied to the K-12 curriculum. This theory is not taught in K-12 classrooms and is being used to stop all discussions about equity in our society.
For more context and perspective, read What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack?
These groups have realized that their “critical race theory” (CRT) argument is now falling on deaf ears because it was discredited quickly after two election cycles. We all now recognize that CRT has never been taught in K through 12 and only in graduate and law schools. Further, the concept merely means acknowledging that racism is inherent in our society, government, and the workplace. It does not teach our children to be ashamed of being white.
So the opposition has adopted two new acronyms to disparage SEL and DEI fitting their bill. They have chosen these educational elements to now attack with their misinformation and lies.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is designed to help students be comfortable in the classroom environment and develop the skills they need to establish interpersonal relationships with other students. It teaches them how to work with others and accept their differences. It helps our children develop "soft skills," primarily the ability to work with other people in groups and the skills needed to manage other people. Soft skills are the most highly demanded requirement in the job market. And statistically, teaching kids SEL improves their academic performance by approximately 11%(Durlak et al., 2011)
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) is a term used to describe programs and policies that encourage representation and participation of diverse groups of people, including people of different genders, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, religions, cultures, ages, sexual orientations and people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills, and expertise. It is expanding the term “diversity and inclusion” (D&I) to reflect the growing focus on equity and justice in organizations.
Read why DEI in schools doesn’t have to be controversial or political.
Research shows that training teachers in DEI and including it in the K-12 curriculum can improve student grades and “promote creativity and innovation” in the classroom.
This is the three-prong attack that outsiders from these radical groups use to destabilize our public school system. Their ultimate goal is to destroy the public school system and replace it with a theocratic education system.
This is why we must have a Three Prong Approach: Engage, Educate, and Collaborate.
We must ENGAGE a larger portion of the population in the arena. Make them aware of what is happening and why school board elections are important to our children's welfare.
We must EDUCATE the population so they can see the misinformation for what it is, propaganda and lies. So they can make logical, factual conclusions regarding sitting board members and candidates for the Board.
We must COLLABORATE, not only as individuals grouping together but by drawing together the multitude of existing organizations whose goal is the protection of public schools and promoting diversity, inclusion, and acceptance while rejecting hatred, xenophobia, and racism. Doing this ensures our efforts are not duplicated and our energies are not wasted.
No matter the potential repercussions. No matter the use of intimidation. We must all rise and create a power base, so the opposition recognizes that we will not go "gentle into the night."
Michael A. Gottesman, Attorney (Retired)
Founder, of the New Jersey Coalition for the Protection of Public Education
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