By Douglas Blair | The Daily Signal
Your children are being indoctrinated. The education system designed to teach them how to think critically has been weaponized by the radical left to push an anti-American agenda.
As someone who has worked in education for four years, I have seen firsthand how your children are being ensnared by the left and their teachers.
I worked with kids from ages 3 to 13 and saw the brainwashing that exists at all levels of education. The left uses a combination of propaganda and suppression to push kids into the ensnaring grip of socialism and anti-patriotism.
First is the propaganda. Teachers will assign work instilling the idea that the pillars of Western civilization were evil, and their memories deserve to be thrown in the trash.
The young adults who today gleefully tear down statues of the Founding Fathers were incubated in our very own schools, groomed to burst from the education system and burn America down.
Here’s an example. I was helping one of my elementary school students with a homework assignment about listing famous Britons throughout history. She already had some of the more obvious ones: Shakespeare, Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth.
“Well, how about Winston Churchill?” I recommended.
“Oh no, not him,” she replied. “He was a racist and didn’t think women should have rights. He wasn’t a good guy.”
I was floored. It clearly wasn’t something she came up with on her own. She was just regurgitating propaganda her teacher had taught her. All sense of nuance and critical thinking about the man who saved Europe from the Nazis was gone. Churchill committed “wrongthink,” so in the bin he goes.
Another way the left propagandizes is through the normalization of its views and positions as nonpolitical.
The Black Lives Matter organization is a prime example of this. Many of my colleagues wore Black Lives Matter pins and apparel to school in blatant violation of school rules forbidding political statements on clothing.
When I asked for a justification of the behavior, I was told it wasn’t political to support the group, it was a matter of human rights. The children would see these pins and clothes and connect radical leftist groups with basic human dignity. “How dare you question Black Lives Matter? I was taught this is a matter of human rights!”
But it isn’t just a matter of actively teaching that America and the West are evil. Suppression of “wrongthink” is equally as important to the brainwashing process. The lessons I was allowed to teach also were censored.
I was preparing a lesson on Thanksgiving involving Pilgrims and American Indians, with an activity centered on making paper teepees for arts and crafts. Cue the progressive panic.
Other teachers at the school were incensed that a non-Indian was “appropriating” Native American culture for an activity. Of course, these teachers weren’t Indians either, they just wanted to virtue signal.
The whole thing culminated in a hilarious incident where my colleagues tracked down the one teacher on staff who was one-sixty-fourths Native American and asked her if it was cultural appropriation. In her esteemed authority, it most certainly was. The school administrators pulled me aside and promptly nixed the project.
The suppression extends to American religious values as well. I would try to engage my students with folk stories from around the globe to teach them world history and other cultures.
Story time went on without a hitch until I decided to tell stories from the Bible. Other teachers began to complain I was preaching Christian values to the children and attempting to convert them.
Keep in mind, this wasn’t a problem when I was sharing stories from other ancient cultures throughout history. Stories about ancient India and China were fine and encouraged as “sharing unheard voices.” After sharing the story of the Tower of Babel, I was told to switch back to non-Christian stories or face consequences.
The young adults who today gleefully tear down statues of the Founding Fathers were incubated in our very own schools, groomed to burst from the education system and burn America down.
The left argues the great men and women who built this nation are problematic and must be destroyed. Conservatives must demand an end to the indoctrination of our youth or face a new American public taught since childhood that the country shouldn’t exist.
Pelosi wants to ban fathers and mothers and aunts and uncles, etc.
All must be GENDER NEUTRAL
Are you kidding me?
Shakespeare would roll over in his grave.
What in hell are they doing to my language?
She wants that taught in public schools, with help of federal $$$$ to get all the states on board.
She needs to “primary-ed”
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/01/01/nancy-pelosi-bans-gender-terms-like-mother-daughter-father-son-in-house-rules/
Any book by Samuel Blumenfeld and you will see this was crafted (as someone else mentioned) long ago with Horace Mann (funny this is the ins co teachers in vt use). The stage was set and we are simply seeing it come to fruition.
We pulled 3 of 4 kids out of public 2.5 years ago it was the best move we made. Our kids were in essex schools and had to play significant catch-up when they moved to private school. Not saying much for a district that has always had such a high ranking.
The academics are not even comparable. When school went remote in March 2020, they led the state in online remote being up and running in 1.5 week vs the 3 week public had (no IT dept, no computers as the kids use textbooks :)) Teachers recorded daily instruction for each subject. The kids had 5 day full day of school. Grades were not relaxed.
They attend 5 days a week since school started in fall. The academics remain very strong. each week when we go over the weeks work that come home on Friday I am continually impressed by what they are learning and the standard that is expected. To say they are thriving academically and in social/emotional would be an understatement.
A big change I noticed early
On is they are excited to go to school in the morning and in good
moods at pick up. A far cry from what it was like before. It is totally stunning and I wish each child/family had this opportunity.
The environment is not comparable. The public school was chaotic (albeit at times maybe “organized ” chaos, but chaotic). Kids coming to and fro constantly interrupting classes. Some classrooms in essex schools abandoned desks and chairs for a more relaxed “experience” for the kids. Just overall a disorganized place to learn. No wonder these kids are suffering from anxiety etc.
Kids thrive in order. The traditional environment and academics are icing on the cake. No concerns over social justice teaching and indoctrination.
I’ve had personal conversations with many public teachers , discouraged as they have watched the breakdown over the years. They are being told what they can cannot teach and how. Their hands are tied with being unable to properly discipline and maintain an orderly classroom. The students run the show – and they know it.
I would recommend to any parent to get your kids out ASAP. Especially as Vermont will be introducing the new SJ equality curriculum soon – that will encompass all subjects.
One last important thing to note. 3 of 4 kids we pulled. One was midway thru hs and so we decided to keep that student in. The academics were still pretty good and at the time still grading and offering honors and AP (hearing that this will be changing which likely will as we had to fight to get them to keep grading and adv courses a few years back).
The indoctrination was heavy of course.
However – this child voted this fall for the first time and voted conservative (so NOT for our cowardly fake repub gov Scott).
we joke that the NEA gets an F (or a “1” by current grading standards) for this kid. They failed in their primary job of indoctrinating a creating a mindless young adult that would follow the protesting crowds.
Thank you for the article, however, this has been going on for 30+ years now and I cannot figure out why people are just starting to understand this now now when it is essentially too late. It just goes to show how naive people have been all these years.
It’s never too late! Yes people are waking up to it and it will be changed – count on it!
I hope and trust this will help people out with VT taxation.
The problem with the school system, local and state is that they have mega $$$$ to do with what they want. It sucks Liberals into the system to control taxpayers and parents. They can gt all the money for their budgets via the voting reconsidering means. VT is 47th of the 50 states having the most tax burden (2019 Wallet Hub). People are moving out and the state will pay $10K to move into the state.
Look at your tax bills, 80%+ of your money supports the system and you have no say. Don’t like what’s happening, you have no control. If you don’t want your money spent that way, sorry. They have devious ways to collect. In Townshend there are 1 staff member for 3 students, bloated. School days the town common is loaded with cars. The student population is decreasing, yet have same budget money.
The Listers are told what to do by the State Tax Dept. In effect the Listers are told to access whatever value they need for the Grand List. The procedure to fight your assessment is laborious: Lister grievance, BCA board grievance (having property inspection, 3 people) , State appraiser grievance with property inspection ($75), and State Supreme Court ($250). Note the BCA inspectors need only drive by and don’t need to set foot o the property. None of the BCA people are knowledgeable about real estate value. The BCA needs elimination of any RE valuations. They said I had 3 POTENTIAL values. Bet I’m the only one in the town, state and country that had property value based on POTENTIAL. I have documentation and been through the process 3-4 times. Grievances can happen every two years. I have seen many old people, natives and farmers arguing and mad, yelling at the BCA. Most of the BCA members are Flatlanders. Said I had a door, they valued at $1200, I built it for $75.
There is a Court decision Ames vs Town of Danby 1978 that says a property owner can use properties sold in the state for establishing Fair Market Value (FMV) to determine the value of your property in presenting to the various grievance panels mentioned. I did. However, the Townshend BCA disregarded, against the law. I got the sales info from a local RE agent, very helpful, they have MLS listings of properties. They may charge, Mine was free with print-outs. Bruce Parker TNR wrote 2 articles about my property valuation, grievances and what I did. I’ve encountered Listers in various towns that didn’t know of the Court decision and said they didn’t care and that FMV only applied to within their towns. They are stupid and anti-resident.
In the Lister’s Handbook (available on line) FMV is listed 51 places. You’d think they would know. If doing their job, they would know. On the wall in the Townshend’s Lister office hangs “Diplomas” for schooling at the VT Tax Dept. This shows the brainwashing mew Listers get on how to be anti-neighbor resident and become a Goebbels disciple. Such people are hateful, it’s not in their elected attitude. Having a scarcity of competent people available, they maintain their positions.
Small town Townshend at one time had 5 Listers. One female lister (from NJ) was drunk, shot and killed another lister. Then there were / are three. The town has two tax collectors. If a veteran, elderly, health problems, limited income (SS) and own property in Townshend and can’t pay the false valued taxes on a timely manner (they determine) they will confiscate and sell tour property. In some states MI & CA property is based on FMV and noted in the various towns. Only one lister in a county. VT is lister bloated. Potential tax sales collection could happen after 2 years. Greedy power crazed collectors will threaten in the same year as the taxes are assessed.
People don’t know the fighting process and the towns and state rely on this. Coordinated opposition in mass will correct this Liberal controlling taxation power. I know the process having fought the system(s). I have considered establishing a non-profit organization having two staff attorneys and CPA’s per county to assist and fight the local and state governments for unfair practices and correct values based on FMV and eliminate BCA boards having any involvement with Real Estate and to streamline the process. I furthermore that the school systems not be allowed to have a re-consideration town vote for six months if their budget was turned down at the regular March town meetings. And property taxation be connected to the CPI (Consumer Price Index), either up or down. Eliminates taxation and Lister power. as other states do.
Things can be simple and honest. But if complicated and involved, governments win. VT was nice once until Liberals moved in and took the state and towns over. I was in the state when it was nice and a live and let live place.
Get involved. Protect the kids from the liberal agenda and indoctrination, they are the future of families and state.
For over 40 years a degree in education has been nothing more than socialist work permit.
I would highly recommend you watch the film; Agenda: Grinding America Down.
What reason would a parent send a child they love to learn a pack of lies? There are lots of options. Until we get serious about what our children learn to be true, our nation cannot be restored. Everything else is a finger in the dyke. Needed, but useless if we don’t get children out of government education programs. Public schools are not broken. They are doing exactly what they were designed to do. Here is a book on Amazon for some history: https://www.amazon.com/Political-Correctness-Deceptive-Dangerous-Worldview/dp/1095069675/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12FTHSHQ156KH&dchild=1&keywords=political+correctness+a+deceptive+and+dangerous+worldview&qid=1609470655&sprefix=political+correctness+a%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-1
It’s definitely time to break out the torches, pitchforks, tar, feathers and rails and rid ourselves of these pockets of pus in our society.
Every high school in the country should require that the book the 5000 Year Leap by W. Cleon Skousen be read before graduating. That students learn the 28 principals our country was founded.
Excellent book, but a better solution is to put the children in an education curriculum that embraces what is in that book.
“Your children are being indoctrinated”
This is not news, just talk to a recent high school or college grad.
#DefundPublicSchools!
This article speaks to a very real problem in Vermont schools. My kid is in middle school in Burlington and you would not believe the far left trash they provide as topics for assignments in class. Not all teachers are guilty of this, but the ones that are are doing great damage. And some of the worst offenders of politicizing the class room with far left ideology are the administrators. This article is accurate to the point that many teachers and administrators deny that black lives matter and other social justice organizations are political. My kid has been assigned projects designed by black lives matter. One assignment specifically directed kids to vote in the future based solely on race and gender of a candidate. I’m very grateful for the teachers that stick to real teaching of math, science and reading. The social studies teachers are the worst from what I’ve seen. It’s real bad. I feel for the kids from families who don’t provide them any exposure to real history and conservative perspectives.
This explains why the idiots are trying to tear down statues of Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. The Zinn Education Project was launched in 2008 to indoctrinate our children to hate their own country using funds from an anonymous donor. If we followed that money we would probably trace it back to Russia or China. It should be investigated.
Or George Soros
The curriculum forced upon our teachers and students within this state is a major problem. Our children and young adults are not given the tools in which to deal with life’s normal and difficult struggles. This has lead to hopelessness, depression and suicide rates far above anything normal or reasonable. Rebecca Holcombe in the debates for governor mentioned 1/3 of all the students are depressed. If there was a time be happy, it would be our youth but the opposite is true.
We teach our children that none of their issues come from being stupid, doing foolish things or making bad choices, all the problems lie from oppression from the state or some make believe group that is out to do them ill. This takes away all hope for a better life.
True wisdom is found from those who came and lived before us, who followed timeless truth to much success and contentment. We’ve lost our way for sure.
Well, I think the Wampanoags lived in longhouses or the like (tepees were used out west mostly) but that obviously wasn’t your point regarding your lesson on American Indians.
It does seem, though, that education is losing its capacity for nuance and for putting historical events in context. Throwing uncomfortable history into “the bin” is a fatal error if one wishes to learn from history so as not to repeat it. So while there is no denying that slavery occurred and that the indigenous population of North America was nearly wiped out, the education around such topics demands maturity rather than reactionary nonsense.
History is / should be a record of events. To allow “teachers” to inject personal views and interpretations is to allow indoctrination of impressionable minds.
Because I’m several decades removed from having my kids subject to the ed system, I can see how the contrasts between then and now are stark. The “teacher” of today is more activist than educator. What remains is the question of how long before enough parents become sufficiently aware to demand a halt to the corruption of the minds of our youngsters.
I believe that Nikita Khrushchev said in 1957, or there about, that they (communism) would win and not fire a shot. It is sounding like he was right.
The kid gets a F for her description of Winston Churchill. In my view, he qwas THE GIANT of the 20th century. Unfortunately it’s not kids fault. I attended college fro 1947 – 1951 and back then there was a history professor who had a strange take on early history and the benefits the Chinese would enjoy under the new Marxist regime. He’s long gone now. He should have lived to see how misguided he was. Back to the current, Mr. Blair makes a compelling case for home schooling or charter schools.
More than “… a compelling case for home schooling or charter schools.” A movement is sorely needed to encourage and enable both–regardless of whether private, “religious’ or not. Because teachers and their unions are an issue, the funding (MONEY) is being used as an impediment. It is important to bear in mind whose damn money it is to begin with.We taxpayers need to demand the best we can reasonably expect for our tax dollars and let the activist teachers be activist on their own dime, and time.
YOUNG MINDS MATTER
I doubt that you attended college during the period you mentioned. First, there were hardly any Marxists in school faculties at that time. But more important, someone in their 90s would spend their time elsewhere rather than making comments frequently in TNR.
We must establish bipartisan school boards who supervise the curriculum and textbooks that are being used and who insist on a balanced lesson plan that incorporates both liberal and conservative views. It’s only getting worse, with Howard Zinn’s warped idea of US history and the fake 1619 project dreamed up by a New York Times reporter now being taught as fact in our schools.
the conservatives are useless…. the people need to push back with the same ferocity as the opposition. Problem is… we are to settled in our own world, a world of denial.God help us.
Young Lives Matter
A new slogan for parents who take their children out of the state-controlled school system.
Yes!
could u not identify as a native, or pilgrim, of jew, etc???
u have to use Saul Alinsky against them…
Reminds me of a story of the time my fathers school principal came to his house and complained to my grandmother about the behavior of said child. All was well until he called my father a name, at which point my grandfather got up and beat the s– out of the principal – you don’t say that his wife made bad children! Back then parents were… parents!
it is a very real problem. they don’t even know what form of government we have in the United States…
Great article….this stuff needs to be printed every day, why? Because one article doesn’t do it, meanwhile everyone just goes back to teaching the same garbage….and nothing changes.
I have always maintained… and still do, that government at all levels must be removed form the school system. It must remain under local control and ONLY local control.
The time for that was BEFORE Horace Mann began creating the monster nearly 200 years ago.
Horance Mann a Vermonter, who started the process that damaged education… Then there was that Vermonter, Justin Morill, who pushed for and passed the tariff that triggered the civil war… We have a state that has caused great damage to America. Yet the liberals think they are great people.
Well, well.
That sums it up pretty well.
Totally incredible
I had no idea!
And this has been going on for decades.
Not ever did such occur in the schools I went to in the Netherlands.
If you want to avoid such malicious brainwashing, go to a private school, or get taught at home.
You are correct; and in this Country, the education dollars MUST follow the student, allowing the parents to send their children to the schools of their choice! This would eliminate government indoctrination as I believe most parents would send their children to private or parochial schools.