THREAD: We are delighted to announce the public launch today of Parents Defending Education, a national, nonpartisan group that will build a grassroots army of parents to begin reclaiming our K-12 schools from political activists and extremists. 1/
We believe in some basic principles shared by overwhelming majority in US - but that are under attack from leaders of many schools: education should be based on scholarship & facts; it should encourage our kids’ development into happy, resilient, free-thinking citizens. 2/
Education should prepare our kids for life in America - a western democracy with unique values and traditions - not for a life of blind obedience to radical, ever-changing “social justice” causes and toxic identity politics. 3/
Let us be clear: Wokeism is an attack not just on our kids' education, but on their psychological health. It seeks to make them angry, confused, emotional, contemptuous of their community & society, and unable to use logic and reason. Wokeism will turn our kids into failures. 4/
This attack on our children takes many forms: the cult of “antiracism,” which demands they feel either shame & guilt or resentment & bitterness depending on which racial category they are assigned, and tells kids they are racists if they don’t obey. 5/
“Equity,” which demands aggressive (and illegal) racial discrimination against Asians and whites. “Action civics,” which trains young kids to think and act like radical activists rather than curious learners. And so on. 6/
We know what the problem is, but Parents Defending Education is here to pursue solutions: First, we must empower each other. Join our effort, become part of our network, learn about this dangerous new attack on our schools and society, and get organized for the fight ahead. 7/
Second, we must engage: We have to get involved in our schools, many of which are going off the rails & need oversight from the majority that opposes indoctrination and extremism masquerading as education. PDE will show you how to get involved at the local and state level. 8/
Third, we have to expose: the activists in our schools like to operate behind a fog of woke slogans. In reality, many schools are spending enormously – your money – on “Equity and Inclusion” consultants, professional development trainings, and the like. 9/
PDE is using FOIA filings, investigative research, & other tools to expose what schools are doing & the extremists behind it. We file civil rights complaints and litigate against schools that have forgotten our country's civil rights laws apply to them. 10/
Finally, what cannot be achieved through existing channels will be accomplished through new measures such as state-level legislation enacting serious reforms. Much more on this soon. 11/
Our schools are not owned by teachers, principals, or political activists. They are funded by we, the people, and they are supposed to help strengthen our communities, not tear them apart. Schools that have abandoned their obligations to their communities will be challenged. 12/
If you share our belief that the recent trend of political extremism and indoctrination being embraced by many schools threatens our children’s well-being & our society, it's time to get started. Please join us by clicking here: defendinged.org/join-the-movem…
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🧵Hearing a lot about Title IX but don't quite understand what's going on?
Here's what you need to know about the Biden administration’s rewrite of #TitleIX:
What is Title IX?
Title IX is a federal civil rights law passed in 1972 that prohibits schools that receive federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex. The law contains 37 words:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Why is Title IX in the news now?
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education (@usedgov) released its much anticipated Title IX regulations, which broaden the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity and flip the 50-year-old federal law on its head. Under the revisions, anyone can self-identify into single sex spaces (bathrooms, locker rooms) and single-sex activities by claiming to be the opposite sex. The new rules also suppress and compel speech and roll back due process protections.
The proposed changes are set to take effect August 1, 2024, but that timeline will likely change as the Biden administration responds to lawsuits. Parents Defending Education has filed a joint lawsuit with the @IWF, and @Speech_First, as well as the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Safety and fairness will be deeply compromised in K-12 schools if these changes are allowed to stand.
We're making a list and checking it twice! Over the next 5 days, we'll be revealing Parents Defending Education's Naughty & Nice list for 2021!
First on the Naughty List: The National School Boards Association and the U.S. Department of Justice. If you missed the letter and the memo that started it all, read them here: defendinged.org/press-releases…
And on the Nice List: The State School Boards Associations that voted to withdraw membership, participation, or dues from NSBA. See the full list here: defendinged.org/press-releases…
Several State School Board Associations have responded to the @NSBAPublicEd letter to President Biden. Has your state responded? To find out, click the link below! If they haven't, send them a request to respond! Links also provided on our website below. defendinged.org/press-releases…
Response from @ArkSchBdsAssn: "The Arkansas School Boards Association was not consulted by NSBA prior to the letter being sent and we disagree with much of the substance of the letter." (see full statement at the link above)
Response from Delaware School Boards Assoc.:
"The DSBA has communicated our concerns with the letter to the NSBA numerous times & in strong language...It was inappropriate for the NSBA to issue the Sept 29, 2021 letter to President Biden without first consulting with the DSBA..."
🧵THREAD: 🧵We need to talk about this Washington Post piece that attacks @defendinged. It’s by @pbump, and it’s a case study in bad faith, bias, and snark. Here is the piece: 1/ washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/…
@pbump's goal is to show that the broad, bipartisan, informed concerns we have with the woke revolution in our schools is merely a “trigger issue for consumers of conservative media” egged on by Trump and Fox News. This is a ridiculous take. 2/
He posts a graph titled “Another administration, another education scare.” If you're concerned your kids are being educated in toxic, extremist new political ideas, you are irrational. There’s no real problem. We’re just “scared.” 3/
THREAD: One way we’re defending education is through litigation, and a week ago, before our public launch, we filed a motion to intervene in an important new education case in NYC. Here's what's happening: 1/
We’re intervening on behalf of a group of @DefendingEd members who are parents with kids at NYC’s gifted and talented (G&T) public schools. We can’t tell you more about our parents without compromising their anonymity, but they needed an advocate. 2/
G&T schools are renown for providing an elite private school level education to gifted kids, often low-income and/or immigrants, who don't have the same opportunities as wealthy smart kids. You’ve probably heard of them: Bronx Science, Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, etc. 3/