School Board Elections Could Make (or Break) Our Democracy. Attacks on school boards are part of a strategic, deliberate, and well-funded effort to erode public schools and advance a broader political agenda.
by southpawFA
School Board Elections Could Make (or Break) Our Democracy. Attacks on school boards are part of a strategic, deliberate, and well-funded effort to erode public schools and advance a broader political agenda.
by southpawFA
27 comments
Some lady knocked on my door a couple weeks ago with pamphlets for school positions, color pamphlets. Wild.
>The disruptions are taking a toll on an already burdened school system.
>
>
>
>Personal threats and attacks are resulting in resignations and turnover.
>
>
>
>They also dampen community participation in the democratic process and reduce the interest of potential educators in joining the profession and leading schools.
>
>
>
>Most importantly, precious time is taken away from what should be at the center: students.
>
>
>
>This month, communities in seventeen states will hold school board elections.
>
>
>
>Typically, these off-cycle elections rarely see turnouts of more than 10 percent of eligible voters.
>
>
>
>But this time, these elections will be massively consequential.
>
>
>
>Those who participate—along with the powerful interests backing candidates—will have a disproportionately large amount of power over the lives of American children, as well as the future of public schools and our democracy writ large.
​
Moms for Christian nationalism and their astroturfed bedfellows are an absolute disgrace to education, trying to peddle PragerU as factual and trying to forcefully out trans kids.
​
The teacher exodus is an existential threat to the United States, and it will only continue if these Christofascists have their way.
From an article posted earlier today:
>At the county school board meeting Sept. 11, a session when some in the room tried to reach agreement on fixing a high school auditorium’s terrible sound and stage-light system so plays can be put on properly, a member of the public stood to declare that Michelle Obama is a man.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/virginia-school-board-elections-face-pivotal-moment-cozy-104640647
Shit is getting weird, friends. Vote in every election, no matter how small.
So sad! This is real. Happening now to my little outside San Diego county school district!
Now, more than ever, parents who want their children to receive an education free of christo-fascism must take an active role in school board meetings. Your children’s lives depend on you making your voice heard!
I voted early with a surgical boot and crutches as two idiot candidates were pushing book bans. Everyone must vote locally too.
I’ve noticed school board elections/standing members (regardless of how egregious their stance is) has the biggest opposition to ridiculous views from students and teachers.
I voted by mail the other day for the election in my blue state of NJ. I paid close attention to the candidates for school board, and found a couple of them who were obviously RWNJs trying to infiltrate the school board to impose their religious nut-jobbery on our schools.
They tried to hide it but there were obvious signs.
If public schools brought up well educated people, that’d be the end of autocracy and nepotism as we know it. Then how would the elite be able to screw society as much as they believe they deserve to?
Yes, Repubican’s are running circles around Democrats.
Some of you are not willing to accept this but it’s true.
One party literally tried to destroy the country. They should polling at 10% not 50%. That can only be attributed to inept Democrats.
It’s really quite simple, religion has extensively laid the groundwork for generations to train people to believe in authority figures with unverifiable stories instead of science and data. It also primes them for, and is built upon, perpetuating racism and fearmongering towards “others”. Once people see you as an authority, you can start fabricating any reality or conspiracy theory you want your followers to believe and everyone else is therefore a liar, even in the face of incontrovertible evidence. Basically, it is mental abuse from an early age that suppresses critical thinking skills. This combined with an intentionally weakened public educational system, provides the framework that has spawned this cult of ignorance.
I posted this yesterday on another thread but I’m going to copy it here as well:
> Go to your local school board meetings. They are public. You don’t need to be a parent to attend. As a citizen of the community, you have a vested interest in what information your local education agency is disseminating to its students.
> You are the ones that elect the school board. Know who your candidates are and what they stand for. Go to the meetings and ask questions. Band together as a community if there are any moms for liberty nitwits trying to infiltrate your district. They tried in the district where I teach and the community (a largely conservative community) caught wind of their agenda and voted them out.
> Voting matters so much in these little local elections that generally get ignored. I would argue that school board elections are one of the most important.
The Bannonites. A gaggle of goose stepping antagonists.
The Christian nationals/evangelicals are one seat away from taking over my local school district. It’s terrifying to know they will hold so much power over 90,000 kids and families. And the ripple effect into the community.
All politics start at the local level. The maga nut that spouts on and on about whatever insanity that’s running for the Senate tomorrow? They started as a city councilman, a school board person, or something equally small. If you want to stop the infection, you get to it early.
I have a nut job running in my area and my friend says I run an anti-campaign on Facebook against him. Which, to be fair I kinda do. More like I ask the community questions and their opinions on things he’s recently made posts on and how he has no idea what he’s talking about. It went from like 40 people like his shit to one sole religious lunatic. I guess we’ll see if it was effective come Tuesday. Guy is pushing vermillion education and I just can’t believe how fearful everyone is lately. Like if you live in a swing state please do your self a favor and turn off your tv the ads are literally atrocious. I have to mute my tv while watching the Steelers play cause I don’t want my kiddo hearing that fear-mongering shit. Like it’s honestly ridiculous and appalling
I don’t have children and don’t plan to have any. But I still researched the candidates very carefully and will definitely be voting for all sane candidates running for school board in my district.
Schools should teach kids how to read properly if they want the trust of parents. They’re just making it easier for these school takeovers to happen.
There has been a long standing conservative attack on public education. The GOP’s goal is to shrink public education, privatize, and drastically reduce the public sector.
The far right GOP brilliantly framed their attack on public education as an effort to protect parental rights. In any successful campaign, they know they need to repeat phrases over and over to stir up hate for the others.
Critical Race Theory was the first rallying cry. It was co-opted as a rallying cry to silence any discussions about racism. This put teachers in a bad situation, worried about what they could, and could not say about black history.
Then the target moved to LGBTQ. And teachers were further bullied and silenced.
Republicans have no shame in their pursuit to dismantle the public sector.
There’s a reason multi-millionaires are investing hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy seats on school boards for districts **their children don’t attend**
People being complacent and not getting involved is exactly how fascism takes over.
Our local school board election includes a candidate whose own children are enrolled in private schools. I told him to fuck himself (in a text message)
There are 4 people running in my town and all 4 are fucking nuts.
Meanwhile “progressives” are focused on policing acceptable language, renaming schools, and erasing gender differences and freeing bathrooms from the clutches of “binary” oppressors. Meanwhile teaching and discipline continue to deteriorate and outcomes, especially for students of color, continue their downward slide.
I’m not sure what “Progressives” have to offer regarding relevant curriculum, investments in infrastructure, ensuring funding for nutritional programs, bringing back arts and physical fitness, or ensuring safety.
Yes it’s called Right Wing Grooming. The Far Right wants to indoctrinate children. Everything the Right accuses the left of doing is what they are planning themselves.
Our public education system should be the shining beacon of a free and wealthy civilization but instead it’s a wage slave creating, indoctrination machine. We force kids to waste the best years of their life, learning nothing of value, only to run through an unforgiving gauntlet that will only reward cutthroat ambition and those already at the top.
I’m just so tired. I just want to relax and enjoy life. Why do these ppl have to ruin it for everyone? We have to pay way too much attention to this boring bs. I hate it. OMG fuck them.