Kathleen J. Anderson: Teachers Union Claims They “Know Better Than Anyone” What Kids Need. Wrong!

Conservative News DailyNovember 14, 2022

This year has not been a good year for Big Education, as I like to call the teachers unions. Studies have shown that children were socially, emotionally, and academically destroyed by the same policies that Big Education peddled throughout the pandemic.

Add to that the discovery of the divisive curriculum and gender and sexual ideology in the classroom, you’d think that the teachers unions would dial down their anti-parent rhetoric for a more, I don’t know, pro-education platform.

Instead, however, if there is one thing you can count on in this world, it’s the teachers unions tweeting out some nonsense to rile up the parental rights movement.

This time, the National Education Association boldly tweets to the world that they know best about our children. So naturally, this declaration came with some interesting and comical responses.

Educators love their students and know better than anyone what they need to learn and to thrive.

— NEA (@NEAToday) November 13, 2022

Delusional

The NEA tweeted recently:

“Educators love their students and know better than anyone what they need to learn and to thrive.”

Oh boy, we are going there, aren’t we? Educators know better than anyone… perhaps an overreach?

You misspelled parents. https://t.co/uMc9ozCUS7

— Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) November 14, 2022

I’m a mom of two kids; let me think about how I feel about that statement. It’s taken me a minute because I had to wait for my uncontrollable and uproarious laughter to die down.

Now that I’ve composed myself, I’d like to tell the NEA to buzz off – respectfully. Last I remembered, I was the one that carried my two kids in my body for nine months each, got up at all hours of the night to feed them and soothe them, and continue to be their primary source of love and guidance.

It almost feels like the NEA is actively trying to help elevate the parental rights movement and school choice argument. So let’s talk about how well Big Education has been doing to help our kids thrive.

Failing In Every Way

This year the National Report Card administered by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that our children had the most significant decrease in reading scores in three decades. In addition, since the National Report Card was issued, math scores saw their first decrease.

ACT scores are at their lowest level since 1991, showing that not only are our youth suffering academically, but our teenagers are less prepared now than they were 20 years ago to be successful in college and be effective contributors to society. That’s quite the bang-up job you guys have been doing, helping our kids thrive.

It’s no wonder that more and more parents across the country are opting to homeschool their children, a decision my husband and I made last year.

So, whose fault is it that children suffered so much during the last two years, particularly those at greater risk of academic obstacles?

Could it be the NEA and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) who actively collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to shut schools, keep kids locked in front of computer screens, and hidden behind masks?

Unfortunately, the truth is Big Education, like the NEA, either hasn’t a clue what our kids need to thrive or knowingly and purposefully prohibits them from thriving for their self-interest.

Take your pick; both are terrible options.

“For Heavens sake, we are talking about teachers breaking the law. Yes, they should lose their license Commissioner. They shouldn’t be allowed to teach. If we have activist teachers & we do…who are breaking the law, they need to be handled & not in a classroom.” #parentalrights pic.twitter.com/hlmtW1VIfo

— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) October 19, 2022

The Rise Of The School Board

This tweet was strategic because while the midterms didn’t experience the red tsunami everyone assumed would happen, school board elections across this country saw significant conservative gains.

Angela Morabito, the spokesperson for the Defense of Freedom Institute, said:

“Conservatives flipped school boards in Michigan and Maryland, and more than 40 candidates backed by parental rights groups notched wins in Minnesota.”

Think about this for a second. School board races are now receiving coverage from mainstream media sources and candidates are getting endorsed by groups and politicians.

Quite literally, one of the most local political actions that used to never to get covered because, let’s be honest, school board meetings and races generally are snoozefests.

At least they were. Now they’re considered headline news.

Senator Tim Scott proclaimed:

“We are putting parents back in charge of their kids’ education.”

This, of course, was viewed as an opportunity for Congressman Eric Swalwell to chime in.

Please tell me what I’m missing here. What are we doing next? Putting patients in charge of their own surgeries? Clients in charge of their own trials? When did we stop trusting experts. This is so stupid. pic.twitter.com/VZRMZpp234

— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) November 10, 2022

Who You Callin’ Stupid?

I really need help wrapping my brain around why Eric Swalwell holds elected office. Congressman Swalwell tweeted in response to Senator Scott:

“Please tell me what I’m missing here. What are we doing next? Putting parents in charge of their own surgeries? Clients in charge of their own trials? When did we stop trusting experts. This is so stupid.”

Does this man not live in the same reality as the rest of us? Yes, parents are in charge of their medical care.

I choose my doctors, and I have to consent to medical procedures that doctors recommend for myself and my children. And yes, clients are in charge of their trials hence their rights to a lawyer.

Eric, you went to law school, for Pete’s sake! So in terms of when we stopped trusting experts, where do I even start?

pic.twitter.com/L8Sni0Tgbb

— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) November 10, 2022

Keep It Up

The parent movement is here to stay, and the more the NEA, AFT, and tone-deaf politicians continue to try to belittle, demonize, or obstruct parents from their children’s lives, the stronger that movement will be. That movement helped propel Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to his historic win last year.

Recently he submitted his draft proposal for American and Virginia history curriculum that includes:

Kindergarteners learning patriotism to include the Pledge of Allegiance
4th Graders learning why James Madison is the “Father of our Constitution” and George Washington is the “Father of our Country”
11th Graders learning about Christopher Columbus

What was his predecessor’s proposal?

Lessons on the LGTBQ+ community and social justice
Lessons on gender equity and equality, climate defense, and renewable energy
It would have halted the requirement of teaching some lessons on Christopher Columbus and Benjamin Franklin
It would have scrapped the requirement of understanding why George Washington is called the “Father of our Country” and why James Madison is called the “Father of the Constitution.”

Keep it up, Big Education and liberals. Parents aren’t going anywhere, and we do actually know better than anyone else what our kids need to learn and thrive.