Posted on 07/25/2021 7:48:10 AM PDT by Kaslin
As I noted a couple of weeks ago, the largest national teachers’ unions—the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers—have essentially declared war on parents and students, doubling down on Critical Race Theory and the “LGBTQ+” agenda while continuing to advocate for forced masking and vaccination of children.
In that column, I called on teachers of good will, true allies of students and parents, to abandon the unions and stop paying dues, which is tantamount to supporting their agenda. The battle lines have been drawn. They are either with us or against us.
So much for teachers. But what about parents? How can they fight the unions?
Perhaps, as a parent, you can’t directly “defund” them, the way teachers can just by leaving, but there certainly are steps you can take that will have a long-term positive impact.
The most obvious, for those in a position to do so, is simply to take your kids out of the public schools. Fewer students equal fewer teachers, shrinking the pool of potential union members and lessening the groups’ power. Plus, your kids won’t have to deal with unionized teachers because they will no longer be in their classrooms.
Unfortunately, this solution presents problems of its own. As I’ve observed elsewhere, not everyone can afford private schools, which in some cases aren’t much better than the public schools anyway. And not all families are able to home school. Another possibility that I’ve been advocating involves creating affordable, community-funded private schools, but that hasn’t caught on yet.
The upshot is that many kids, at least for now, are stuck in the public schools. If you’re in that situation as a parent, what can you do to fend off the assault on your children from unionized (or union-affiliated) teachers?
First, you can get involved. Attend school board meetings and speak out against injustice and bad educational practice—as many parents are already doing all over the country. If you’re not part of this movement, join. Make your voice heard, in public meetings, emails to elected officials, letters-to-the-editor, and social media posts. If you’re not sure what to do or how to go about it, search Facebook for a group of like-minded parents in your area.
Second, it is absolutely imperative that you teach your values at home. Refuse to cede one iota of your parental authority and responsibility to the schools. Do not let teachers raise your children or teach them morality. That’s your job.
As much as possible, spend time daily with your kids. (The evening meal provides an excellent opportunity.) Ask them about their day and what they’re learning at school. If they’re being taught things that aren’t true—such as that all white people are racist or that some girls have penises—calmly explain why that’s wrong. (If possible, try not to completely undermine the teacher, whom you still need to teach math and reading).
Also, be sure to keep close tabs on your child’s curriculum. Spend time weekly on the class’s website. Look carefully at anything that’s sent home. Review their reading assignments. Once again, if you find something questionable, you will have the opportunity to counter it. And if something is truly objectionable, you can email or schedule a conference with the teacher to politely express your disagreement and displeasure. (Getting angry with these people rarely works. It just reinforces their prejudices. That said, there are times to get very angry indeed.)
Speaking of your child’s teachers, be sure to hold their feet to the fire. Both the NEA and the AFT have vowed that their members will continue teaching Critical Race Theory even in districts where it’s banned. They do not have that right. If you live in one of those areas, and you find your child’s teacher is flouting the rules, it’s time to involve the school’s administration—or even local politicians.
You can even be proactive. Before the school year starts, find out if your child’s teacher(s) is/are union members. (In right-to-work states like Georgia, where I live, the unions are often called “associations.” People will say, when I bring this up, “We don’t have teachers unions in Georgia.” That’s not entirely true. Teachers in Georgia and other RTW states might not be represented by unions in contract negotiations, but they can still join and pay dues—the NEA, for instance, boasts over 30,000 members in the Peach State—and in doing so, support the union’s agenda.)
If your child’s teacher belongs to the NEA or AFT, you could simply file that information away for future reference. Or you could go a step further and write to the teacher, at the beginning of the school year, to let him or her know that you know, that you will be keeping a close eye on what happens in the classroom, and that you object to your child being taught racism or sexual perversion.
You could even request that your child be transferred out of that class, although most principals would probably not accede to such a request, and the alternatives might not be any better. Still, it fires a shot across their bow, letting them know you will not be a passive by-stander in your child’s education.
Just understand that those last two suggestions could be considered preemptive attacks. There might be repercussions for your child, who could face discrimination from the teacher or even the administration. You’ll have to decide how far you’re willing to go—or how far you believe you need to go to protect your child.
But the bottom line is that, as a parent, you are not powerless. You can fight back. You can make your voice heard. You’re still the most influential person in your child’s life, and both individually and collectively, parents can, and should, have a great deal of control over what goes on in their local schools.
"If possible, try not to completely undermine the teacher, whom you still need to teach math and reading)..."But then Jenkins states:
"Speaking of your child’s teachers, be sure to hold their feet to the fire. Both the NEA and the AFT have vowed that their members will continue teaching Critical Race Theory even in districts where it’s banned. They do not have that right. If you live in one of those areas, and you find your child’s teacher is flouting the rules, it’s time to involve the school’s administration—or even local politicians....If a teacher spouts leftist, racist, antiAmerican propaganda, the teacher cannot be trusted to teach math and reading. Neither can one trust principals, school superintendents, or school boards that allow leftist propaganda to be taught in the schools.
"You could even request that your child be transferred out of that class, although most principals would probably not accede to such a request..."
The public has the power of election and recall of the school board. The school board, in turn has the power to set policy and set standards for the teachers. In many districts, they are directly involved in the hiring and firing of teachers.
Oh yeah, I am a retired public high school teacher (25 years). The NEA members hate a conservative school board more than anything else.
“If possible, try not to completely undermine the teacher, whom you still need to teach math and reading)...”-You forgot to mention writing. It’s either keyboarding or one’s thought process applied to paper/hard drive.
*If a teacher spouts leftist, racist, antiAmerican propaganda, the teacher cannot be trusted to teach math and reading.* Bingo! You can’t advocate a ‘process’ to change. A big, dull blade is necessary. Covid, teachers getting paid to not work. Ripe for change. A governor Elder can only speak out for one+ year. Set the stage. California governorship would be a great stage.
BTW-California is not Arizona but Elder should of at least made a cameo at the Trump rally last nite.
Put your kids in private schools . . .
“Or you could go a step further and write to the teacher, at the beginning of the school year, to let him or her know that you know, that you will be keeping a close eye on what happens in the classroom, and that you object to your child being taught racism or sexual perversion.”
Unless there are CAMERAS and microphones in the classrooms that parents can monitor, any parent thinking they can find out what happens in their kid’s classroom is a TOTAL IDIOT.
Absolutely.
Get them as far away from the public cesspools as possible.
Pass laws against teachers unions.
Really? You think DJT needed to sprinkle another issue into his rally? The conservatives in Arizona need help with the ‘media’ and their audit as it had to be the headline.
Other states are watching as they take on their audits and wanting T’s help to be like a surgical Lasor.
I’d bet my Beau that Elder will get a major endorsement well be for our election.
So pay crazy high taxes with no return, PLUS spend a fortune on private school. I not sure how that is going to negatively effect the lives of the commies that are responsible for this. You see the problem with conservatives solutions is it never causes any hardship on the people that are causing the problem. The commies are never affected. At best they just move to another way of wrecking your life.
You can't teach in California Public schools unless you are an NEA member. There is a way to object but try to get hired without it.
Private schools are $45k per student per year in my area. All have waiting lists thanks to covid. Not an option.
Christian schools? A.C.E. (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum? Check those things out if available. My granddaughter is enrolled in A.C.E. and is excelling above her public school peers.
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