How can parents ensure schools operate lawfully, transparently, and in the best interests of students and families?
- Parents Unite
- 24 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Even with Executive Orders in place, DEI policies, biased hiring, and sex- and gender-based discrimination continue to be prevalent in K–12 schools nationwide. Most schools also suffer from a lack of transparency. In independent schools, for example, accreditation reports are not accessible to parents. In public schools, parents must submit FOIA requests to obtain curriculum information.
To “clean up the mess” and urge governors to review “ideologically driven” K-12 policies, we joined forces with dozens of parents’ rights groups calling for state audits to rid K-12 schools of DEI. See here for links to the letters sent to each state:
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Why are we asking for a DEI audit?
We believe there is an opportunity cost when schools impose beliefs instead of teaching knowledge—knowledge gaps widen and students are only exposed to a single worldview. Beyond this, smartphones and social media are eroding attention spans and independent thinking, creating a sense of urgency around teaching fundamentals and ensuring competency. The DEI mandate to decolonize curriculum has denigrated the Western canon and replaced it with books and lessons based on identity, not intellectual merit.
NAEP Scores confirm significant declines in reading, math, and science. To fill in gaps and get ahead, students in wealthier suburbs are opting for outside tutoring, enrichment, and supplemental instruction. Newton, MA, surveyed parents and learned that 50% of families (see page 30) pay for tutoring in math or attend an enrichment center (the top franchises in MA include Mathnasium, Russian School of Math, and Kumon).
“Average reading scores for fourth-grade students in 2024 dropped two points since 2022 and five points since 2019, as measured by the so-called nation’s report card. But according to a recent talk at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, the trend of American children reading below their grade levels stretches back decades before the pandemic — and teaching methods that fail to adequately challenge students, counterintuitive as it may seem, could be the culprit.”
The politicization of schools
In a 2022 talk, “Education or Indoctrination?” Why Teachers Confuse The Two,” Joanna Williams discussed the “politicization of schools” and the abandonment of knowledge, arguing schools are teaching ideology — a “belief system” — and are not encouraging students to think critically about what they are learning. She calls this the “hollowing out of knowledge from education”. She explains how teachers weave their political agenda into their classrooms and even outside of class.
What then becomes the primary purpose of schooling? Williams explains that when education becomes a project without a clear objective, it creates a vacuum that needs to be filled. Many teachers fill this vacuum with ideology because it gives them the moral authority and fulfillment that teaching key skills does not.
Does elevating “6-7” confirm brainrot?
You may have heard kids referencing “6-7” but have no idea what it means. It originated from the song Doot Doot (6 7) by Skrilla and became a meme and part of “pop culture.” Dictionary.com has proclaimed “6-7” as the word of the year, exemplifying so much of what has gone wrong with the American education system.
“According to Dictionary.com, “perhaps the most defining feature of 67 is that it’s impossible to define. It’s meaningless, ubiquitous, and nonsensical. In other words, it has all the hallmarks of brainrot. It’s the logical endpoint of being perpetually online, scrolling endlessly, consuming content fed to users by algorithms trained by other algorithms. And what are we left with in the wake of this relentless sensory overload? 67.”
What can you do about it?
Question school hiring practices—Parents have the right to know that teachers and school staff are properly vetted—“bad hires” raise doubts about whether this is actually happening.
Demand curriculum transparency—Parents want to know when to opt their children out of DEI/gender lessons that go against their values; schools continue to keep secrets from parents, contributing to trans social contagion and indoctrination.
Speak up about unfair programming—Race or sex-based preferences in hiring and programming violate Titles VI, VII, or IX of the Civil Rights Act or the Equal Protection Clause.
Supplement your child’s education—Help break the spell by introducing classic books and alternative perspectives. According to AI, here are some classic novels widely considered essential reading. These books offer a mix of genres, time periods, and cultural perspectives, providing valuable insight into the human condition and literary history. What would you add to the list?
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Great Gatsby
Moby-Dick
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Catcher in the Rye
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
1984
Animal Farm
Frankenstein
Great Expectations
Don Quixote
Crime and Punishment
Anna Karenina
One Hundred Years of Solitude
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