They are not just waging war in Ukraine. Parents around this country have started to unite and send a message to the rest of America-"We've had enough of Biden's America. We are mad as hell, and we're fighting back!" One of the major fronts for that battle is our schools! Parents are fighting mad at what is happening to their children.
While Biden is trying to appease his far-left progressives, he's angered one of the largest and most powerful interest groups in this country-Parents! In fact, democrats seem to be doing everything they can to turn them into rabid conservatives. The evidence of their impact is growing.
Governor Youngkin's surprise victory in Virginia was driven by an optimistic campaign fueled by his rock-solid belief in American exceptionalism and opportunity. He also promised to stand with parents who wanted more school choice and an end to any form of Critical Race Theory curriculum in Virginia schools. Parents applauded Youngkin's policy priorities, and they helped secure his victory.
In many states, teacher unions are the biggest supporters of Democratic candidates. Parents are beginning to realize that their "interest" group is far more interested in themselves than they are of the children they teach. The more teachers resist opening schools and support CRT propaganda, the more parents are turning from the candidates they support.
Concerned parent Brian Echevarria, appearing before the Cabarrus County Schools Board of Education, made an impassioned defense of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr's belief that people ought to be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. His words have rallied parents across the country for a stronger voice:
"I'm bi-racial, I'm bilingual, I'm multicultural. The fact is in America and North Carolina, I can do anything I want, and I teach that to my children. And the person who tells my little pecan-color kids that they're somehow oppressed based on the color of their skin would be absolutely wrong and absolutely at war with me. And I think that's the same for every parent. What the mask showed us is that the parents are the most powerful group of people in our country and that they're taking back the wheel."
As we near the mid-term elections, more and more democrats should be concerned. Minority and female parents have been the backbone of the Democrat voter base. But parents have a much bigger commitment to their children than to Joe Biden and his progressive priorities. When you mess with their children's education, caring parents mobilize to defend and protect their young.
Parents are seeing the cost of Biden's decisions. The policies and mandates introduced to deal with the COVID pandemic are impacting the quality of their children's education. During this pandemic, kids are falling behind. Virtual classrooms just aren't as effective. Their children miss their friends and the social interaction that is so necessary for normal development. Suicides are up. Parents want schools to open and stay open!
Even when schools are open, many children are being forced to wear masks. This flies in the face of increasing evidence that masks don't work. The incidence of COVID in children and teens remains low. Parents are looking at the science and listening to their children. As a result, they are demanding an end to mask mandates.
Parents have learned all they need to know about the Black Lives Matte Critical Race Theory curriculum. No responsible parent of any race wants to send their kids to a school that is telling their kids that whites are
systemically privileged and racist. Such programs risk increasing the racial divide and racial animus. We spent decades fighting white racism and must continue to stand against it wherever it surfaces. But now, it is time to fight emerging black racism in the form of CRT and claims of "white privilege."
Already, parents are taking on school boards that are refusing to listen to these concerns. Few states are more liberal than California, but even in super progressive San Francisco, parents campaigned against progressive school board members and are winning. School boards better listen or learn the hard way at the next election.
A school choice proposition is gaining ground in California. They hope to give parents the choice in what school their children attend and the public funds to make that happen. Minority parents have seen their children trapped in poorly performing public schools. They desperately want school choice, and the Republicans are poised to give it to them.
States are passing laws to ensure parental rights. The Florida House just passed the "Parental Rights in Education Bill" and has sent it to the Florida Senate. The most controversial provision bans the discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity with young children: "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards." Will other states follow their lead?
Parents aren't happy with their schools and what is happening to their children. They care about their children's future, and they're ready to fight and vote for change. When you add the devastating impact of inflation on middle class parents that call for change is growing stronger. Biden's America is a disaster waiting to be stopped. Furious parents are ready to help do just that. May it be so.
Terry Paulson is PhD psychologist, author, and professional speaker on
Earned Optimism, Making Change Work, Claiming Your American Dream, and
Becoming a Conservative Values Voter.