The past two years have been an alarming wake-up call and a steep learning curve for parents with children in the public education system. The fact that our children are willingly handed over to state-sanctioned faceless bureaucrats with strong left-leaning agendas as soon as they step off their school bus has received widespread attention. Woke ideology, critical race theory, gender ideology, and transgenderism are all silently directed toward our children, and many parents are beginning to fight back.
Unfortunately, parents who attended school board meetings in 2021, asserting their rights to have a say in their children's education, were labeled "domestic terrorists" and vilified in the media.
Those of us in Alabama have seemingly been spared such drama. Feeling safe in our red state with our conservative family values, it's hard to imagine such dangerous ideologies being presented to our children right under our noses.
But just last week, the state board of education voted on a new curriculum for kindergarten through third-grade students that many parents didn't even know about.
How could this happen, you ask? By their own design.
You see, the curriculum, "vetted" and recommended by the textbook committee, is all kept secret by law. Only 14 libraries across the state had the textbooks available for in-person viewing. State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey cited contract procurement concerns as the source for secrecy, while District 1 state board member Jackie Zeigler said she didn't remember the cause for the law but thought it would be easier for parents.
The most concerning thing, however, involves Gov. Kay Ivey's appointee to the ELA chairperson for the textbook committee, Kevin Balius. Balius wrote a paper entitled, "Increasing LGBTQ+ Competencies in Preservice Teacher Training Programs," in which Balius and another professor outline the experience of inserting LBGTQ lectures and assignments into a curriculum that had none. This paper is included in a book of similar papers entitled, "Incorporating LGBTQ+ Identities in K-12 Curriculum and Policy."
Only eight people signed up to address the board of education last Thursday when the vote was taken. Several cited concerns over the curriculum's "woke," "demonic," and "out there" subject matter, but the curriculum was adopted with a 7-1 vote.
I have to think there are several reasons more concerns were not raised about these topics. The secrecy of the curriculum is especially concerning. Why are parents unaware of these changes, and why are more parents not involved in this process? Have we given complete and total control of our children over to the state board to indoctrinate them? Do we really trust that these people hold the same conservative and family values we do?
We can't anymore.
These are our children, our future, and these committee members and appointees, like politicians, are not to be trusted. When people like Kevin Balius — who insist on pushing LBGTQ propaganda starting in kindergarten — are choosing our children's textbooks, we had better wake up, ask questions and demand answers.
Coming on the heels of this vote, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are working to pass the "Parents Bill of Rights Act," giving parents more access to curricula and the safety and protection of their children. This bill codifies parents' rights to be heard in their child's education and strips these boards of secrecy regarding subject matter taught in the classroom. Although this should not be a partisan issue, it will be very interesting watching Democrats argue against this commonsense bill and against parental ownership and responsibility for children.
This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but it will mean nothing if our state's parents do not step up to the plate. Even if this bill passes, it will still be a fight against the bureaucracy which is foaming at the mouth to indoctrinate our children and secure a future in which truth and morality are not only questioned but dismissed entirely.
This is not just a fight in blue states far away. The call is now coming from inside the house as we enter the fight of our lives for our children in our own state of Alabama.
Now is the time to get involved. Go to your local school board meetings. Be involved in decisions regarding the textbooks your school is adopting. Make your voice heard when it comes to rejecting the dangerous ideologies of the left. Together we can take back our right to be a present and active participant in ensuring our children not only have what they need but are having our values reinforced in every area of their lives, including their classrooms.
Lauren is a wife, mother, and writer with a passion for boldly speaking truth. Writing and speaking for over a decade, Lauren has reached millions worldwide. She is known for her Biblical approach to controversial topics and humorous approach to counteracting the lies of the world. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @laurendemoss.
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