Has the leftist indoctrination so prevalent in college reached down into our elementary and high schools, too? If so, what can concerned parents do about it? Jill Simonian, Director of Outreach for PragerU Resources for Educators and Parents, has answers.
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Script:
What's happening in our schools?
Colleges have become leftist indoctrination centers. It's not a new problem. It's been going on for decades—first behind the scenes, and now out front. That's how radical change happens. It creeps up on us. And when we finally figure out what's going on, it's too late.
What's been happening on college campuses is now happening in elementary schools and high schools. I know. I'm a mom of two school-age kids. I've seen it with my own eyes. More and more parents are seeing it, too. Thanks to the lockdowns and Zoom, we're getting a window into our children's classes.
It's not a pretty picture. Kids—really young kids—are being taught stuff so radical, so devoid of what real education is, it should alarm us all.
Here are a few examples.
Recently, Chicago public schools adopted an American history curriculum based on The 1619 Project, published and promoted by the New York Times. The 1619 Project asserts that America's founding was not marked by the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but the arrival of the first African slaves in Jamestown in 1619.
Historians from across the political spectrum have denounced this as a giant lie. The New York Times has walked back many of the project's original claims. Still, this malicious slander of America is now being taught in schools as truth. And what is that "truth"? That America is, was, and always has been a fundamentally racist country and that white Americans today bear responsibility for all current and historic racism.
This bleeds perfectly into another educational debacle: "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion." Now, this might sound innocent, but don't be fooled—it's a dangerous euphemism for something called Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory says that racism is woven into the very fabric of American society. What does this look like in a school setting? Middle and high school students in Wellesley, Massachusetts are being taught to be on the lookout for "unconscious" racial bias in their classmates. "We need your help!" an email to students reads. "Your school leaders will be working with you this year on how to be proactive about preventing bias incidents, and how to report them should they occur."
This warped vision of America doesn't stop at race. In Colorado, first graders are being taught that just because someone looks like a boy doesn't mean they are. Only they can know who they truly are. Gender is something they choose for themselves based on how masculine or feminine they feel. Or, maybe they're not fully a boy or a girl, but something in between—whatever that may be. To repeat, that's what children are taught in first grade. Imagine what they're taught in second or third grade.
And, of course, the world faces imminent disaster from global warming. The American Federation of Teachers has fully endorsed the most radical aspects of the Green New Deal, which is already featured in California school curriculums.
In sum, many of our schools are teaching children that our past is terrible and that they have no future. That if they are white, they are racist, whether they know it or not. If they're black, they're victims, whether they experience it or not. That they should constantly question their sexual identity. With all this being drummed into their heads, no wonder today's kids have more psychological problems than any previous generation.
What's happening in our schools?
Colleges have become leftist indoctrination centers.
It's not a new problem.
It's been going on for decades,
first behind the scenes and now, out front.
That's how radical change happens.
It creeps up on us.
And when we finally figure out what's going on,
it's too late.
What's been happening on college campuses
is now happening in elementary schools and high schools.
I know.
I'm a mom of two school-aged kids.
I've seen it with my own eyes.
More and more parents are seeing it, too.
Thanks to the lockdowns and Zoom,
we're getting a window into our children's classes.
It's not a pretty picture.
Kids, really young kids,
are being taught stuff so radical,
so devoid of what real education is,
it should alarm us all.
Here are a few examples.
Recently, Chicago Public Schools adopted
an American History curriculum
based on the 1619 Project,
published and promoted by The New York Times.
The 1619 Project asserts
that America's founding was not marked
by the Declaration of Independence in 1776,
but the arrival of the first African slaves
in Jamestown in 1619.
Historians from across the political spectrum
have denounced this as a giant lie.
The New York Times has walked back
many of the project's original claims.
Still, this malicious slander of America
is now being taught in schools as truth.
And what is that truth?
That America is, was, and always has been
a fundamentally racist country,
and that white Americans today
bear responsibility for all current
and historic racism.
This bleeds perfectly into another
educational debacle—
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Now, this might sound innocent,
but don't be fooled.
It's a dangerous euphemism for something
called critical race theory.
Critical race theory says that racism
is woven into the very fabric
of American society.
What does this look like in a school setting?
Middle and high school students
in Wellesley, Massachusetts,
are being taught to be on the lookout
for unconscious racial bias
in their classmates.
We need your help,
an email to students reads.
Your school leaders will be working
with you this year
on how to be proactive
about preventing bias incidents
and how to report them
should they occur.
This warped vision of America
doesn't stop at race.
In Colorado, first graders
are being taught that just because
someone looks like a boy
doesn't mean they are.
Only they can know who they truly are.
Gender is something they choose
for themselves,
based on how masculine or feminine
they feel.
Or maybe they're not fully a boy
or a girl, but something in between.
Whatever that may be.
To repeat, that's what children
are taught in first grade.
Imagine what they're taught
in second or third grade.
And, of course, the world faces
imminent disaster from global warming.
The American Federation of Teachers
has fully endorsed the most radical
aspects of the Green New Deal,
which is already featured
in California school curriculums.
In sum, many of our schools
are teaching children
that our past is terrible
and that they have no future.
That if they are white,
they are racist whether they know it or not.
If they're black, they're victims
whether they experience it or not.
That they should constantly question
their sexual identity.
With all this being drummed
into their heads,
no wonder today's kids
have more psychological problems
than any previous generation.
Maybe you think I'm cherry-picking
examples to exaggerate my point.
Or maybe you're one of the lucky ones
who sends your kids to a school
that has yet to be infected
by this radical agenda.
Maybe.
But if I were you,
I wouldn't take it on faith.
Find out for yourself.
When I did, I was shocked to learn
that all of this is happening
in my school district.
Right now.
So find out what's being taught
in your kid's school.
Take a good, hard look at curricula.
Ask administrators if they endorse
the 1619 Project.
Are they pushing a diversity, equity
and inclusion agenda?
If so, demand to see what materials
the school is using.
At a minimum, get to know
your kids' teachers and principals.
Join the PTA.
Attend local school board meetings.
Look for allies among
reasonable, like-minded parents.
You don't have to agree with each other
on everything.
You just have to agree that
the brainwashing of our children
stops here.
Stops now.
Americans know what our children
should be learning.
That they must take responsibility
for their conduct.
That race is the least important
aspect of another person.
That hard work and rational thought
are things we all value.
That there is nothing wrong
with the bodies they were born into.
And that America was founded
not to promote racism,
but to guarantee sacred liberties
and opportunities to its citizens.
And it wouldn't hurt if they learned
reading and writing and math, too.
I'm Jill Simonian,
founder of TheFabMom.com,
for Prager University.
