I’m here to tell you: schools are not secretly plotting against parents. I know, surprising. This may seem to be an absurdly obvious statement to the common West Ottawa student. However, since the pandemic and online learning made parents more aware of what their children are being taught, politicians have taken the opportunity to convince them that their children are being “brainwashed” into becoming the “next generation of communist marxists.” Time to break down the comments that have been swamping online platforms. In the words of Seth Meyers, “It’s time for a closer look.”

Parents

   Cindy O’Brien, a writer for The Morning Call, said, “Many parents today are worried that critical race theory and gender ideology are being taught without the parents’ knowledge or consent.”

   Brian Wencel, a writer for the Illinois Family Institute, said, “CRT also directly contradicts Christian principles. God has created all of us equal in His eyes, but CRT teaches the exact opposite. Now, students are subtly brainwashed into opposing equality. They are taught to treat people differently purely based off the color of their skin, which is completely opposite to how a Christian should act.”

   First off, do parents ever get a layout of everything their child will be taught? No. The moment a parent decides to place their child in the hands of the American school system, they are agreeing to put their trust in what’s being taught.

   Granted, not knowing everything that happens in the classroom can be scary for a parent, but, based on what I’ve seen, there’s no need to worry.

    First off, for those wondering what critical race theory (CRT) is, Rashawn Ray and Alexandria Gibbons of Brookings said, “Simply put, critical race theory states that U.S. social institutions (e.g., the criminal justice system, education system, labor market, housing market, and healthcare system) are laced with racism embedded in laws, regulations, rules, and procedures that lead to differential outcomes by race.”

   Here at West Ottawa High School, CRT has never been brought up as part of the curriculum, but only in class discussion. In fact, when I first heard of the theory, I had to look up what it was.

   Through my research, it has become clear to me that CRT doesn’t go against Christian beliefs. All the theory does is admit that there have been wrong-doings in the Federal Government, ones that have violated human rights. 

   In fact, CRT helps Christians by exposing a possible issue that the church should work to solve. A core concern of Christians is to care for those around them as equals. If U.S. social institutions are “laced with racism,” Christians should be on the front lines, combating the issue.

   As for teachings on race, the history books only show the truth, which is that there have been injustices to people of color. White people as a whole group are never villainized in these books, but rather the specific people and groups in history who condoned the injustices.

  Tweets

     “Tudor Dixon & MI GOP think teachers are ‘engaged in a culture of secrecy and defiance in which they talk to children about sex and gender theory secretly behind their parents’ backs,’” said Senator Dayna Polehanki @SenPolehanki in a tweet. 

   In a recent tweet from Donald Trump, Jr., he said  “Our govt schools are indoctrination centers. They are designed simply to brainwash children. They are there to create the next generation of communist marxists.”

   The accusation that teachers are “engaged in a culture of secrecy and defiance” is completely incorrect from what I’ve experienced. I went to an elementary school in North Carolina called Powhatan Elementary. If a movie was going to be shown in a class with sexual or mature content, the teacher would send home a letter to be signed by a parent or guardian. 

   The situation in high school is slightly different. Controversial content comes up so often, from watching Forest Gump in history class to reading Of Mice and Men in English, that a letter couldn’t possibly be sent home every time. Teachers don’t encourage students to stay silent, though. They are free to talk with their parents about any content surrounding sex and gender that comes up. 

   Furthermore, “the next generation of communist marxists” may be just a touch dramatic. The curriculum taught to students is meant to allow them to freely form opinions about the world around them so they can make educated decisions. As John Fitzgerald Kennedy stated, “The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.” 

   For example, students are not forced to be LGBTQ+, but rather to open their minds to the way of life of others to become more empathetic and well-rounded individuals. WOHS creates PRIDE lessons to make everyone more aware of those around them. 

   Encouraging students to avoid feelings of animosity towards their fellow classmates does not amount to creating the “next generation of communist marxists.”  

  I can’t deny that the teaching in schools is different than it was for the previous generation, but this is only due to the differences between the two generations. Teachers have to show the truth, and the truth is that gender ideology and racism exist and are prevalent to high schoolers now.

   To suggest schools are working against the wishes of parents would be completely false. Their true goal is to create the next generation of empathic and worldly people. An empathetic generation is just what the world needs to avoid growing animosity.