Mothers and fathers of children around the country are asking themselves the same questions: “Do I need to homeschool?” “Do I have the money to pay for a private school?” “If I leave them in the public school, is there any way that I will be able to monitor what they’re being taught?” It’s not only fundamentalist conservatives asking themselves these questions, but increasingly it’s also anyone who identifies in the center. Many parents are disturbed by the social agenda being taught to their children without their consent. Increasingly, teachers seem to view themselves as spiritual, social, and emotional guides- training children in political activism (almost exclusively leftist in nature) and sexual awareness. A growing percentage of parents- particularly post-lockdown- are becoming aware of the messaging their children are receiving in school and wondering if there is another option that is truly workable.
Non-academic training in schools ranges across the spectrum from mere emotional awareness to political involvement to full-blown sexual instruction. A google search of “the genderbread person” will show a dozen articles about curriculums and schools in which it was or is used to teach children as young as six or seven about sexual orientation, expression, and identification. Ditto for the Gender Unicorn. In a Missouri school, a mother reported a memo instructing teachers to remove a race-based curriculum from the parent portal after receiving complaints but to KEEP TEACHING IT SECRETLY, saying: “Just pull the resource off Canvas so parents cannot see it … Keep teaching! Just don’t make everything visible on Canvas. This is not being deceitful. This is just doing what you have done for years.”
Closer to home in Leander, Texas- the same Leander I wrote about in my article about Drag Queen Story Time– a shocking new scandal has unfolded, and this one drew my sister into its web. The Daily Wire picked up on the story and described the situation thus: “In fall of 2020, according to LISD English teachers, a small group of LISD administrators made the nearly-unilateral decision to deemphasize traditional canon literature in favor of more ‘diverse,’ contemporary literature, which featured what many parents complained were ‘adult themes.’ Passages in the books included graphic depictions of gang rape and references to strap-on sex toys, masturbation and ejaculation. Some of the most violent and graphic scenes involved incest and depictions of the abuse of minors, including prepubescent children.” If this sounds unlikely to you, read this link which includes an excerpt from one of the books recommended for freshmen which featured an incest scene between a father and his 7-year-old daughter. Regardless of what you think of the politician mentioned on the page, just imagine your 14-year-old reading about that abuse.
While these books were not EACH mandatory, they were included on short lists of about 15 recommended books for a mandatory “book club” and displayed prominently in classrooms. Each child had to choose one book, and these books were included among them. Teachers reported that they received reprimands if the books were not visibly displayed. After choosing the books with no parental approval or warning about explicit content, the kids were placed in groups to discuss topics that were graphic and in some cases abusive.
This is where my sister enters into the story as one of the unsung parent heroes pushing back against this messaging in the classroom. She lives in this very Leander district. While her children are still too young for the reading clubs, she cares about the school system they will inherit. As a result, she did the only thing she could do. She and her husband volunteered to join the review board and read the books for approval. If what was going on in Leander had not been leaked and shared in Facebook groups, parents like Natalie would still have no say at all.
Here’s the bad news- there is still only so much she or any of us can do. The rating systems for the books are skewed (for example, up to 80 points can be given for diversity, but only 20 points for profane content). Although parents on the review board can give their opinions, they are assigned books chosen by the same teachers and administrators who picked the original books with rape and incest themes. These choices are in no way balanced by ideology, and many are outright political. After my sister read a 300 page anti-Republican, pro-abortion screed called “How I Resist” (picture included below) and gave it the worst score she could, it STILL PASSED REVIEW this week. It’s currently on the list of 15 books for the kids to choose and discuss. There is obviously no equivalent book of the opposite persuasion to select if a child is interested in a right-leaning viewpoint.
After reading the excerpts from the books that caused the original ruckus, having her own review suggestions rejected, and contemplating whether she will even know if her children are being exposed to content like this in the future, my sister said, “I am losing hope about public school.” That is a sentiment that I and so many others share. Just yesterday, my husband and I priced out private schools in our area and timed the distance of the morning drive.
Our public elementary school is very highly rated. It has a beautiful campus, and it is one minute from my home. Nevertheless, we’re still unsure if our 3-year-old will attend it in two years. It is not that there are no good public schools or teachers left, because there are. I know many of them personally. The question is whether we will know if our children are being influenced by the bad ones. Will they tell us? Will the teachers hide the information from the parent portal and will our children spend 13 years ingesting the messaging while we sit ignorantly and idly by unable to counteract it with our own values that we teach at home? Will it be enough for us to volunteer when our hands are tied in so many ways?
Private schools are not perfect, but they are smaller, and they generally have higher accountability. In addition, there are many to choose from, and they have specific ideologies that parents can choose to line up with their own. However, not everyone can afford them. Many parents are turning to homeschooling when they can’t pay the private school fees. Homeschooling is also expensive, as it usually requires a stay-at-home parent to forego a second income in order to teach the children. As difficult as these options are, however, many parents are sacrificing luxuries and conveniences in order to have more control.
If you are a concerned parent but you can’t afford a private school or homeschooling is out of the question, let me just encourage you to keep pushing back against training and teaching that has nothing to do with academics. Be aware of what is going on in your child’s school- as far as you can be. Volunteer like Natalie did so at least you have some small say and so the administration knows that someone is watching. Ask your kids often what they are learning in school. Above all, teach them values at home. The schools are there to teach your children to read and write- not to replace your guidance. Even if they have forgotten that, we should not.
Additional Reading:
All pictures and links below are from Leander ISD’s reading lists. WARNING: some content is very graphic.
Warning: This link will lead you to an excerpt that describes a teen rape scene: https://www.facebook.com/teachparentalrights/posts/191919166106170
Warning: This link leads to an excerpt (also mentioned above) which depicts a graphic incestuous sex act: https://www.facebook.com/teachparentalrights/posts/177266167571470
I’m sorry for even including these pictures and links, but I do not think parents can get a real feel for what they are up against without seeing the actual content. I hope and pray that we can affect our school districts in a positive way and direct the content through our own involvement. God bless all the parents seeking to make a difference!
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Jackie Chea is a blogger from San Antonio, Texas who holds a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Community Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She writes on political and cultural issues from a conservative, religious standpoint. She lives in the Lone Star State with her husband Nick, her 5-year-old son Lincoln, and her rescue dogs. |
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