In that same vein, we must be vigilant against organizations that purport to “protect” those who can’t advocate for themselves (namely children) but are legislating to give themselves control of the conversation by shutting out everyone they disagree with. Such organizations have coalesced around the idea that controlling the levers of government will allow them to force the cultural environment onto a path of their choosing. The best way to do this is through the indirect indoctrination of those unable to advocate for themselves by purging their environments of influences they deem “inappropriate.” These “crusaders” seek to turn the youth of tomorrow into historically ignorant creatures lacking the ability to think critically or communicate unless it fits within their agenda. How are they doing this? By marginalizing those they disagree with, changing the rules of how, when, and where people can vote, making it harder to be represented through gerrymandering district lines, and targeted purging voter rolls in communities that won’t and don’t vote in lockstep with their ideology.

The methodology for this sort of coercion is to create feel-good sounding buzzwords like “parental rights” that purport to do something noble like protecting children but are, in fact, a façade for an agenda that supports:

• The right to review and approve textbooks and other curricular materials. This means censoring historical events to highlight only positive accomplishments and not negative consequences of American history. To prevent a balanced “warts and all” discussion of American history that might force empathy for the dispossessed.
• The right to opt their children out of specific lessons or activities. Again, to avoid discomfort in considering alternative points of view, sidestepping the consequences of unaccountable actions of the majority and their impact on the unrepresented minority.
• The right to have a say in the hiring and firing teachers. Get rid of those who challenge the thoughts and beliefs of parents, many of whom have limited education and extremely narrow belief systems. Moreover, to break the back of the teachers’ union, reducing the teaching profession from professional educators to minimum-wage babysitters restricted to following pre-approved scripts. Success will not be measured in the ability to think critically but in how well students can pass tests designed to ensure uniformity in achieving the lowest possible measure of competence.
• The right to sue schools for violating their children’s rights. The goal is not actually to protect children’s rights but rather to financially strain the education system so it will fail, leaving charter/religious/home schools in a better position to bleed school systems of their best students and complete the intentional indoctrination in white Christian supremacy and leave the rotting husk of the ruined school system to focus on those who cannot afford to go anywhere else.

Right-wing advocates for parental rights in education often argue that the government should not be in the business of indoctrinating children with its own values, ignoring the fact that by altering existing education processes, they are simply replacing one form of “indoctrination” with their own. They believe that parents should be the primary educators of their children and that schools should focus on providing a basic (aka “minimal”) education in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Basic competence should be favored over mastery since the ability to extrapolate beyond simplistic concepts might risk unraveling stealthy conservative ideological indoctrination.

To further obfuscate this approach, parents’ rights advocates point out that the real enemy is progressive ideas in schools, such as critical race theory (CRT) and gender identity ideology. They believe these ideas are harmful to children and that parents should be able to protect their children from them. Most Americans don’t know what CRT is, so parents’ rights advocates have filled in the blanks by demonizing CRT, thereby avoiding the need for a proper discussion. After all, it is easier to win your argument when no one knows what you’re talking about.

The ability to impose “parental rights” on school systems depends on the ability of ideological groups to infiltrate and take over school boards and city/county governments. Since 2016, organized groups of conservative grass-roots operatives have clandestinely taken over school systems and city/county governments, exploiting the low level of interest such elections tend to have and the easily distracted, apathetic attitude citizens have towards government (local and Federal). Groups taking advantage of this include:

• Moms for Liberty: Moms for Liberty is a national organization founded in 2020. The organization aims to “fight for parental rights in education.” Moms for Liberty has been involved in several controversies, including removing books from school libraries and protesting mask mandates. https://www.momsforliberty.org/
• Parents United for Better Education: Parents United for Better Education is a national organization founded in 2017. The organization’s mission is to “fight for parental rights in education and to ensure that all children have access to a quality education.” Parents United for Better Education has been involved in several challenges to school boards, including removing critical race theory from the curriculum. https://education.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx
• No Left Turn in Education: No Left Turn in Education is a national organization founded in 2016. The organization’s mission is to “protect our children from the radical left’s agenda in education.” No Left Turn in Education has been involved in several challenges to school boards, including the removal of books from school libraries and the protest of transgender rights policies. https://www.ratedbooks.org/nlte
• The Heritage Foundation: The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank founded in 1973. The organization has some educational policy positions, including opposition to critical race theory and support for school choice. The Heritage Foundation has been involved in several efforts to influence school boards and state governments on education policy. https://politicalresearch.org/2018/06/22/profile-right-heritage-foundation
• The Federalist Society: The Federalist Society is a conservative legal organization founded in 1982. The organization has several policy positions on education, including opposition to affirmative action and support for school choice. The Federalist Society has been involved in several efforts to influence school boards and state governments on education policy. https://fedsoc.org/

These are just a few organizations targeting school boards and county and city governments to leverage their agenda. These organizations often use social media and other forms of activism to reach their target audiences. They may also engage in legal challenges to school board policies.

Be aware of these organizations and their goals. Realize the potential consequences of their efforts. Diligent citizens, school boards, and local governments should be prepared to defend their policies against these challenges.