We have a crisis happening in our schools and, while politicians bloviate on national television, the real battle is happening behind closed doors. Once a safe learning environment for students, our children are being exposed to false teaching, flawed logic and fundamental anti-American rhetoric without consent.
Cole Muzio
Students are forced to give in or face the wrath of liberal administrators and teachers. There is an all-out effort to claim this next generation for the cause of “wokism” while keeping parents in the dark. Yet in the wake of the pandemic and growing awareness of the curriculum being forced upon our students, parents are rising up.
In school board meetings they are speaking out and, in Virginia, voters dramatically altered the state’s trajectory and policies at the ballot box. This movement is alive and well in Georgia. As the General Assembly begins, the crisis of confidence in the classroom is at the forefront of every mind. During the 2022 legislative session, Frontline Policy Action will champion the Save Our Students (S.O.S.) Initiative at the state Capitol. With support from churches, conservative donors and leaders, activists, legislative allies and, most importantly, parents from all four corners of the state, we are ready to lead the charge. The goal: Passage of legislation that removes leftist propaganda from our public schools, stopping the advancement of woke ideologies in the classroom and protecting the fair field of play in sports.
First, we must support racial progress by banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory. As Christians, we believe that all are “made in the image of God” and racism must be rooted out immediately. CRT is both an affront to biblical teaching and a concept that threatens the future of race relations in America. Through legislative action, we can stop the teaching of Critical Race Theory, safeguard the minds of our students, and reverse the divisions that have become prevalent in our neighborhoods and communities.
Second, we must end a radical sexual agenda that attacks the innocence of our children, ignores biological facts and undermines the cause of women. We see this in curriculum and classroom exercises where children are forced to ponder sexual issues and considerations at far-too-early-an-age – and in libraries where obscene material has become protected behind legislative loopholes. We must actively reform sex education in our state, and we stand behind the efforts of Sen. Jason Anavitarte, the sponsor of SB 226, as well as Rep. Jan Jones and Gov. Brian Kemp. They have publicly supported similar legislation aimed to shield innocent students from obscenity.
The radical left’s “woke” sexual agenda extends beyond the classroom to our schools’ gyms, tracks, or fields of play. Their goal is to erase gender and go against science by making biological sex irrelevant when it comes to competition. Unfortunately, the reality is that it is very much relevant – with biological males possessing significant advantages in size, strength, and speed. To protect fair play and the gains made by women under Title IX, we support efforts to Save Girls Sports.
Next, there must be an overall aim to give more authority to parents. In Georgia, public schools are not required to post or share the curriculum or teaching materials for parents to view. The issue boiled over into a heated debate in Forsyth County last spring when parents, administrators, and students couldn’t agree on whether the current school curriculum supported Critical Race Theory. Unfortunately, the debate came after the damage was done.
There is no doubt we must put parents back in control, have transparency in curriculum, ensure parents have a fair hearing to express concerns, and guarantee in-person education for our students. These are challenging times, but parents are waking up, legislators are listening, and Frontline is leading the charge.
While these issues are a real and significant, they are not pervasive in every community. Our state is blessed by countless teachers, school board members and education professionals who put students first, teach the truth and honor parents and families. It’s time we do justice by these educators, provide the quality of education our students deserve and assure parents their tax dollars are going to educate, not indoctrinate. It’s time to Save Our Students.
Cole Muzio is president of Frontline Policy Action. www.frontlinepolicy.com
