Education: MAGA, Parents, and the Nazi Curriculum

In a test-stump-speech this weekend in Salem, NH, the former president railed on about his ideas for education changes. Parents voting for principals and getting rid of tenure were two of his ideas. Certifying "patriotic" teachers was another (shades of the oath I had to sign 36 years ago that made me promise not to join the Communist party). Denying federal funds for schools that "teach divisive concepts" (no one is, but gee, they like that phrase) is a primary focus for his plan as well. 

One thing he said troubled me most, though. That was when he said that parents know best what their children need to learn. Now, I'm all for parental input, but teachers are credentialed, licensed, educated professionals. Unless a parent is up to speed on pedagogy and content, then I would hope that teachers would be trusted with doing what is best to help prepare the students for life beyond k-12 schooling.

Have we ever been trusted?

Other professionals with the same level of education and experience are deferred to automatically; we trust doctors, lawyers, dentists, and counselors far more than we do teachers. This is nothing new, but it really rankles when it becomes the core of a stump speech. 

So, taking that bit of Trumpian wisdom in hand, let's take a look at the network of "homeschoolers" who are raising the next generation of Nazis here in the United States. The Dissident Homeschooler Channel on Telegraph (a social media site) has over 2500 subscribers, and the mission statement by the leaders of this group is chilling: they have pre-made curriculum to help parents make sure their children will become model little Nazis. Those parents, and this group, are not afoul of the law, and if the MAGA folks, or other extremists like DeSantis, get their way, then there will be nothing to stop this indoctrination of little fascists. 

In the recent mid-term elections, one rallying cry from the GOP was that they "support education, not indoctrination." There's much to discuss there, as well, but let it suffice to say that indoctrination is the core of the GOP's educational mission. Anytime children must chant anything in unison, by rote, it is not true education. Teaching critical thinking skills and deep questioning in order to learn takes more time and effort, but will bear better fruit. 

Take care,

C