Tipsheet

Biden's Education Secretary Shows How Far the Admin Will Go to Usurp Parental Rights

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  May 22, 2023 4:15 PM

The Biden administration has definitely not gotten the memo when it comes to how parents who have their own children's best interests at heart know what's better for them. They just keep stepping in it. Last week, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona tweeted from his official account that "Teachers know what is best for their kids because they are with them every day" and "We must trust teachers." 

Earlier this month, as Townhall covered, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made remarks on the red carpet for the GLAAD awards during which she claimed "these are our kids" and "they belong to all of us," specifically in the political fight when it comes to so-called "gender-affirming care" that is anything but for children who may have gender dysphoria. She was widely condemned for her remarks. 


Cardona also faced a massive ratio over Twitter, with our friends at Twitchy highlighting some of the best responses, including when it comes to calls for him to resign. As of Monday afternoon, the tweet has been viewed 7 million times, with over 3,500 quoted retweets. There's also over 18,000 replies of users taking issue with such a stance that seeks to usurp the role of parents. 

Someone also pointed out how Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has re-introduced legislation to get rid of the federal Department of Education, as he has been doing for years.

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This was hardly the only time in recent days that Cardona had concerning tweets, which involved repeating an addressed claim about book bans. Such a tweet came the very same day that Cardona made his claims about teachers and "their kids."

Cardona also appeared on Capitol Hill before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to discuss "the policies and priorities" of his department. As he summarized it, he was there "to break down partisan culture wars and help Congress understand that we must come together," which he claims involves being "on behalf of... parents," despite his and the administration's mistreatment of them. 

The administration isn't merely engaging in tweets and comments, though. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has also been involved in concerning ways when it comes to a memo smearing concerned parents who attended school board meetings as domestic terrorists. Attorney General Merrick Garland has also doubled down on the issue. 

As Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) brought up during last weelk's hearing, Cardona had previously claimed he had not personally received that memo, and responded once again last week that he had received "no update" and that his department was not involved in the letter portraying parents as such. He even went on claim "as a matter of fact, we strongly support engaging with families and parents, especially at the board level."

Cardona also was unable or unwilling to answer to such a letter claiming parents were acting in such a way, in part because Good was "referencing a letter of two years ago." He also would not say if he supported such a memo, but rather told the congressman to direct his questions to the DOJ and that he had "complete confidence" in the DOJ to be "well-positioned" before trailing off and "well within their rights."

He did try to answer by way of responding "right now, sir, in 2023, our focus is in making sure our school boards have enough dollars to provide the funding to their schools." When Cardona tried to argue that he believes "parents are critical partners," Good rightfully kept pushing and asked if the secretary believed "parents have primary responsibility for the the education for kids" as well as "primary authority for the education of their kids." 

Cardona was able to respond, without hesitation, "absolutely" to such a question, making last Friday's tweet more puzzling, and concerning. The secretary even went on to offer that "I think parents know better than anyone else what the needs of their child are and their engagement is critical," when answering Good's question about protecting parents who want to exercise their First Amendment rights and make their voices heard. 

Throughout the hearing, Cardona also defended the administration's determintion to have biological boys compete against girls, as he did when going up against Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN). The congressman brought up the Biden administration's threats to defund school lunches for schools that wouldn't abide by such policies.

The secretary was unable to provide an answer, as he initially sought to speak to the "civics" of the issue with his claim that the department is "promoting the most rigorous, intense academic programming," though Banks wasn't having it, as he asked his question multiple times.

The secretary merely claimed and repeated "I'm proud of the work we are doing" when it comes to "mak[ing] sure that all students feel safe in school," leaving Banks to come to the conclusion that "the answer is yes, this administration would take away school lunches from kids that need that lunch, maybe the only warm meal they might ever get, 'cause of the radical agenda of this administration."