Noah Webster Educational Foundation

Month: December 2021

The One Class They Don’t Teach: Balancing Parental Responsibility and Communal Investment in Child Raising
The Children’s Bureau paints this picture: “Maybe it’s a resource parent whom a foster child bonds with over their mutual love for beautifully illustrated fairy tales… It could be an older mentor, who takes them out to the basketball court every morning so they can shoot hoops and experience their own growth and development…”

Community members invest in kids every day. Maybe for you, it’s a neighbor who comes over to visit and push your kids on the swing, or your favorite librarian who’s always helping your kids find the best books to read.

The relationships developed through these interactions help kids form a worldview as they learn more about others and themselves—shaping them into adults who will one day be the glue of your community.

Raising children is a community effort—with a child’s parents bearing the first and foremost responsibility of that effort. But why is it important for communities to invest in children early on?

Turns out, it’s healthy, both for the kids and the other members of the community. According to The Urban Child Institute:

“High quality early interventions can enhance cognitive and social skills for young children exposed to early risk factors. Early investment is associated with higher levels of success, such as attending college or obtaining skilled employment.”

“Early childhood programs [are] necessary for communities to become globally competitive, improve health and education outcomes, and reduce crime and poverty.”

But community interaction isn’t limited to one-on-one relationships.

Investing heavily in your community’s youngest members, the public school is probably the largest force in your area contributing to raising your kids.

A question of primary responsibility

Teachers, coaches, counselors, and other school personnel have a front-row opportunity to impact your kids in great ways. There’s no ignoring that fact.

It’s organic and moral for these employees to care about and care for your children while they’re at school. Most teachers have a genuine heart to act in loco parentis while teaching your kids math or reading. Overall, that’s a good thing that should be recognized and praised.

But have parents given too many of their basic responsibilities over to the school system? In other words, have we begun to rely on schools to raise our kids for us?

Public schools offer a wide variety of services for children. Aside from teaching them academic material, schools

Feed kids

Offer advanced healthcare services and counseling

Provide school supplies for students

Just to name a few.

“But wait a minute!” you might say. “What about poor and needy kids? Don’t you want them to be fed? What about kids who are abused at home? Don’t you want them to be rescued?”

Yes, without a doubt! There should always be school staff trained to identify and care for kids in situations of poverty, hunger, or abuse.

But why do these conditions exist in the first place? Let’s look at another side of this discussion to find out:

Why does the school have so much responsibility to care for students?

Les Daenzer has dedicated his life to teaching, with decades spent serving rural Alaskan communities. But interestingly enough, in an interview with NWEF, he confessed, “I wouldn’t consider [teaching] a fun job anymore as I did when I started. There’s a lot of demands that are put on a teacher…and the classroom has become too much—I feel—the home.”

Why have school services grown to meet more of students’ basic needs? Here’s one big reason:

“Think about school curriculum in general. What don’t we teach kids to do? We don’t teach them to be a parent. You realize, we don’t teach kids how to be a responsible parent and what parenting looks like. If anything, a lot of those programs have been cut out,” says lifelong educator Jack Appleby in his interview with NWEF.

If parents aren’t prepared to raise their kids, then who is going to step in?

The line between “where a parent’s role ends and the role of the school begins,” as Australian Christian College puts it, has become blurry. Several generations were left in that wake, venturing out into a world where they weren’t really sure how “adulting” worked.

A Vicious Cycle

“One of the most difficult and important skills in life that students may need often goes untaught. That skill is rearing children, and while we have to pass a test to drive a car or to work in certain fields, many become parents with little or no preparation,” says SeattlePi.

How can we break the cycle?

Let’s revisit our earlier question about needy kids who are helped by school services—what about kids who are abused at home?—from a different angle.

There might be a new way to rescue kids from these situations. “In many cases of violence, neglect or otherwise bad parenting, the victims are part of a cycle. Much of what we know about raising kids probably comes from our own experience as children, perhaps watching our parents discipline our siblings or being disciplined ourselves.”

It would be ideal for parents to teach their own children how to parent, but for those (children and adults alike) caught in this cycle of unhealthy parenting practices, there has to be outside intervention. And we can’t only band-aid it by providing services for kids in these situations—but by raising those kids to be different and break the cycle themselves.

For instance, Love to Know advocates for “[s]chool-based parenting classes [that] can help prevent future child abuse because they help future parents gain crucial skills and understanding of child development.”

And this concept doesn’t only apply to the issue of child abuse. If schools began thoughtfully incorporating classes to give students a better foundation for adulthood and parenthood, we would be one step closer to breaking the cycle and building a generation of parents who could essentially take back parenthood.

Where to begin

Love to Know suggests this list of crucial parenting skills. Parenting isn’t limited to interacting with children—it is a far-reaching, heavily integrated practice influenced by an adult’s ability to carry out other basic responsibilities, such as:

“Domestic skills like cooking and cleaning that will help teens later on in life

Growth and development of a child, and learning how to handle each stage as the child grows

How to obtain child support and government help for single parents

Learning how to change diapers, bathe infants and young children, and other things that are important to know as a parent

Mastering self-control and focus to avoid losing one’s temper when dealing with a demanding child

Learning how to do fun projects that children will enjoy, such as arts and crafts or building projects”

Taking Back Parenthood

Are you a parent? Are you worried that the school is taking too much responsibility to care for your child? Do you want to equip your child for adulthood and eventual parenthood but aren’t sure where to start?

First, remember to simply be present: “It’s important to remember that parents are crucial partners in educating their children. Research has proven that children do better, stay in school longer, and are more engaged with their schoolwork when schools and families work together.”

Second, find ways to be engaged. Remember that “[b]eing involved in your child’s education doesn’t mean being by their side during class, but rather, participating in and supporting them along their journey from one grade to the next,” says Very Well Family. “Involved parents take on a partnership role with their child’s school, rather than viewing the school as being an independent authority in charge of educating children.”

Thirdly, search for resources that can help you become a better parent. You can take classes, find organizations, or attend meetings that will help meet your needs so you can in turn meet your child’s needs more fully. You’ll probably be surprised by what you can find!

The Noah Webster Educational Foundation is here to help you! We want to encourage parental engagement and collaboration to improve education in America. Visit our website and blog to find resources and tips to help you get involved!
December 22, 2021
Pandemic Causes Student Mental Health Crisis to Skyrocket

A Florida school recently hired a social-emotional learning specialist for kindergartners—likely a response to the national rates of depression and anxiety that continue to climb among students.

WINK News reports that the Community School of Naples hired Natalie Donahue to help young children learn how to manage their emotions and create relationships with others. The school hopes that doing so will help kids avoid mental health issues later down the line.

“We are working with whole classes to help children create healthy identities, to manage their emotions,” explains Donahue.

The idea of social-emotional learning (SEL) helps kids become aware of what they feel and how to handle complicated emotions.

“If students get lessons in the classroom as a whole, as a proactive measure, to have skills for daily challenges, then there’ll be less need for mental health therapy in the future,” says Donahue.

Children get better grades when they receive SEL instruction. One study examined 270,000 SEL students from kindergarten to high school who experienced an 11 percent increase in grades from their peers. They also had better behavior in school.

“The idea of emotional intelligence is something that we know employers need to have in the workplace,” Donahue shares. “So we want to start as soon as possible.”

This approach comes at a time when schools across the nation have seen higher levels of violence and depression as a result of the pandemic.

The mental health crisis was already bad prior to the pandemic: the suicide rate for people aged 10 to 24 grew by about 60 percent in a 10-year span that ended in 2018. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teenagers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In October 2021, a White House fact sheet reported that there have been “alarming rates of behavioral health needs among school-age youth, with significant increases in the number experiencing moderate to severe anxiety and depression.”

The fact sheet goes on to say that “[m]ental health emergencies among young people have increased across the board. In 2020, there was a 24 percent increase in emergency room visits for mental health reasons for children ages 5 through 11, and a more than a 30 percent increase in visits for those between 12 and 17 years old.”

Three children’s health organizations—the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association—have declared the current mental health situation in our youth a national emergency. And in early December of this year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory about youth mental health following the pandemic.

What has caused this uptick?

For one thing, schools say the transition from online learning back to in-person has been a difficult adjustment. Fights have broken out, potentially because students are used to hiding behind a screen when they send a mean text or experience bullying. Now they’re in-person, so there’s not much to stop them from fighting.

Students also struggled with losing loved ones or a parent losing a job. In some cases, students don’t display violent behavior, but are still disengaged in school.

It doesn’t help that there’s a shortage of mental health providers in schools. That’s why some schools are moving toward social-emotional learning for students.

Concerns have arisen over SEL being a gateway to allow controversial practices based on critical race theory into our schools. In some cases, while SEL teaches children how to work through their emotions, the curriculum also teaches kids how to manage the privilege they either have or don’t have based on their skin color. In other words, SEL could be seen as a form of instilling political activism and indoctrination in our kids.

What can parents do about their child’s mental health? Education experts recommend that parents check in on their kids to make sure they’re okay. Look for signs of depression and talk with your kids about what they’re feeling. You can also talk with teachers and school counselors who might see something that you don’t. Finally, you should seek professional help for your child’s mental health if necessary.

How do you think schools should navigate the student mental health crisis? Could social-emotional learning be the solution?

December 21, 2021
What to do if your school promotes a holiday you don’t celebrate

We’re in the thick of the winter season…and that means holidays are upon us. With all the festive feelings in the air, there’s a lot to navigate for you as a parent. Especially if your child’s school promotes a holiday that you don’t celebrate or agree with.

Just like religion or politics, holidays can easily be at the center of controversy in public schools. Even though the winter season contains a host of holidays, this struggle with celebrations at school lingers year-round, presenting a host of situational challenges.

Can I exempt my child from holiday celebrations at school? What do I do if I don’t want my child participating in an activity? How can I help them feel included when they’re not practicing holiday activities like everyone else?

Today, we’ll look at how several schools across the nation approach seasonal celebrations. Then, we’ll examine how teachers can work with students who don’t celebrate certain holidays while still helping them feel included.

The Educational and Cultural Impact of Holidays

With the growing diversity in this country (not to mention a drastic slant towards political correctness), celebrating, promoting, or simply teaching about a holiday at school can get complicated.

Holidays are an unavoidable fact of life—nearly everyone celebrates something meaningful to them at some point in the year. And since holidays can also be cultural, they should be incorporated into education in a balanced format.

In Texas, according to their Association of School Boards, “seasonal celebrations are permitted if they serve an appropriate instructional purpose.” There’s a big difference between teaching about holidays to give kids cultural literacy (which, done well, is a good thing) and violating their rights or parents’ wishes with compulsory celebration or participation in holiday activities.

Some teachers are handling this balance gracefully.

Teachers’ thoughtful holiday approaches

Peter Siegel, a music teacher in Keene, New Hampshire, says, “[Keene] is a relatively secular community. Statistically speaking, it falls below the national average for religiosity, with just over 20 percent of the population officially affiliating with a specific church, temple, or mosque. That’s why it’s interesting, even surprising, that nearly 100 percent of students say they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Passover, and Halloween. Every year I ask myself, what do these children understand about their relationship to their holidays?”

Siegel takes a thoughtful and academic approach to incorporating holidays into his lessons—laced with the important task of instilling meaning for children. “I avoid sacred topics but honor the stories, characters, and rituals of holidays as symbols of positive values,” he explains. “Parents seem to understand that teaching about the commonalities in holiday stories reinforces cultural understanding.”

By helping his students think about the differences and similarities they share when practicing holiday traditions, he draws their attention away from divisiveness. Siegel teaches them the importance of knowing more about how their fellow students celebrate and how they’re all pursuing something meaningful.

For instance, he likes to ask his students what the winter holidays have in common. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Chinese New Year all share the theme of “light”, and, “It is no mistake that winter was chosen to celebrate important events—in a season of darkness, a savior, optimism, and knowledge are all symbolized by light amid the darkness,” Siegle points out.

But what if I still don’t want my child to participate?

Even though schools and teachers are forever trying to find new ways to make holiday celebrations more inclusive, find alternatives, or make them more neutral, there are times when you’re still going to put your foot down about your child participating in an activity.

So what should you do?

Each state and school district has different laws and guidelines about religious or opinion-based parental exemptions, so I encourage you to contact your school to find out the specifics of what’s possible in your area.

After finding out your state’s laws or guidelines, make sure you communicate with your child’s teachers. Many teachers will be glad to honor your family’s beliefs if they know your wishes.

Linda Kamp, a primary education teacher in Arizona, shares ideas for accommodating students who don’t celebrate holidays: “Make a plan with parents for situations like birthdays and holiday activities and discuss what an acceptable alternative might be.”

The best way for teachers to make that plan with you is if you reach out to them and establish open communication about your wishes from the beginning of the school year.

Nargis Rahman, a Muslim parent, shares that it’s best to “always establish contact early on.” That way, “during the school year, I also explain to the teachers what activities my children cannot participate in, such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter-related activities. I make a point to educate and ask teachers to find inclusive activities without centering the activities around any particular holiday.”

And many teachers will find creative ways to honor your wishes while making your child feel included!

Kamp shares her experience with students who don’t celebrate birthdays: “I often do birthdays outside (we live in Arizona where the weather is almost always warm) at picnic tables on the playground. In some cases I’ve had the student play in another area with another class while we sang and passed out treats. In other cases, I’ve had parents suggest the student stay with the class, not sing and have one of the snacks they provided for me to give their child instead during class birthdays.”

Some teachers also understand that parents might prefer to pick their child up early or allow their student to “go to the library or somewhere other than the classroom during certain activities. It has also, with some families, been acceptable to have the child stay in the classroom but work on something different if the rest of the class is engaged in a holiday activity,” concludes Kamp.

Religion and Holidays

As We are Teachers says, “the U.S. population has become more culturally and religiously diverse, [and] equity awareness has increased in schools and beyond.” It can be tricky if you attach religious meaning to a holiday that is considered “secular” by others. “Some holidays considered by many people to be secular (for example, Halloween and Valentine’s Day) are viewed by others as having religious overtones.”

The Texas School Board Association says, “Parents [in Texas] may temporarily remove their children from classes or school activities that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs by providing the teacher with a written statement to that effect.” According to a document hosted by California State University-Chico titled “Religious Holidays in the Public Schools,” “Students from certain religious traditions may ask to be excused from classroom discussions or activities related to particular holidays.”

Accommodations like this are necessary for many students, such as practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to a teacher on Lessons4Now, “those who practice this religion must refrain from many common activities, [they may not] say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing patriotic songs… [and] they can’t celebrate birthdays or holidays.” Over the years, teachers have learned how to make satisfactory arrangements with students’ parents to respect their religious beliefs.

For instance, “The student stood for the Pledge of Allegiance, but she did not place her hand over her heart or recite the pledge. This showed respect, but did not contradict her religious beliefs… [and] before each [holiday-themed class party or activity] I made contact with the parent and we problem-solved. Most often it was agreed that the parent would pick up the student right before the party start time. Whenever my student left early, I collected non-perishable goodies from the party and sent them home the next school day. This gave the student’s parents an opportunity to decide whether or not the contents were appropriate for their child.”

It’s also worth noting that students who celebrate religious holidays that aren’t recognized as national holidays can usually be excused from class to fulfill their religious obligation, within attendance policy limits.

For instance, the Montgomery Public School in Maryland “understands that students may occasionally miss school for a variety of reasons, including the observance of religious holidays. These are excused absences, and students will be allowed to make up missed assignments…MCPS will accommodate reasonable requests for late arrivals or early dismissals related to the observance of a religious holiday, but they must be authorized by a parent or guardian.”

In any case, be sure to establish a plan with your child’s teachers early on so they aren’t caught off guard. Only open communication and an established plan will help you and your child successfully navigate holidays and celebrations at school.

In Conclusion

As you maneuver parenthood during the holiday season, make sure you’re ready to answer your child’s questions about the holidays.

Michigan State University reminds parents, “It’s important to note that learning about a specific holiday…is not the same as celebrating it. When your child learns about how others celebrate and what they believe, they are expanding their understanding of the world and building a foundation for understanding, respect and inclusion of all people.”

In addition, make sure that you’re building customs and traditions of your own that will show your child the familial importance of celebrating something meaningful together. A strong family connection to celebrations of your own will help them feel included.

Got more questions about how you can be more involved in your child’s education? Visit the Noah Webster Educational Foundation for more resources and education news!

December 20, 2021
The Scoop on Your State’s School Board
“State boards of education are among the last bastions of civil discourse in the country. By and large, board members engage in complex discussions about policy without a lot of partisan drama.”

Robert Hull, NASBE President, and CEO

Public education is a gigantic tree with a tremendous number of large, heavy branches. Each of these “branches” needs someone to oversee and manage them.

State Boards of Education (SBE) or “state school boards” make up one division with considerable influence. As the name suggests, they function at the state level and manage the state’s public education system. The SBE’s authority depends on its state’s constitution and statutes. States commonly set different authoritative functions for their respective Boards of Education.

Just as with state boards, state Departments of Education operate distinctly according to the individual state’s guidelines. In fact, these two authorities are related—state boards of education universally operate under the authority of each state’s Department of Education.

The National Association of State Boards of Education notes, “State boards of education are different in every state and have diverse policy authority. Some are created by the state constitution and others by statute. Some of their members are elected; some are appointed. In many states, it is the state board who selects the state education chief. In others, it is the governor. In 45 states, the state board adopts learning standards that all students are expected to achieve. In 31 states, state boards have primary authority over state summative assessments.

State boards don’t all have the same number of board members. The Kansas Board of Education has ten sitting members, while California has eleven. Meanwhile, Florida currently has seven.

State Boards of Education are as diverse as they are numerous, but there are some commonalities between them. Those commonalities are what we will examine today.

Comparing Mission Statements

If you look at a sampling of state board of education websites, you’ll find plenty of comparison and contrast.

For instance, Florida’s Board of Education mission is to, “Increase the proficiency of all students within one seamless, efficient system, by providing them with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills through learning opportunities and research valued by students, parents, and communities, and to maintain an accountability system that measures student progress toward the following goals:

Highest student achievement

Seamless articulation and maximum access

Skilled workforce and economic development

Quality efficient services”

Meanwhile, the State Board of Education in Kansas states, “The Mission of the State Board of Education is to prepare Kansas students for lifelong success through rigorous, quality academic instruction, career training and character development according to each student’s gifts and talents. The Kansans CAN Vision is to Lead the World in the Success of Each Student.”

The Vermont Board of Education declares, “Pursuant to Title 16 of the Vermont Statutes, Chapter 3, the State Board of Education is responsible for the establishment, advancement, and evaluation of public education policy. The powers and duties of the Board include making regulations governing: attendance and records of attendance of all pupils, standards for student performance, adult basic education programs, approval of independent schools, disbursement of funds, and equal access for all Vermont students to a quality education.”

These boards share common themes as they specifically address their individual states’ priorities and issues.

Key Work of State School Boards

What does a State Board of Education do, exactly?

According to the National Association of State Boards of Education, “Functioning as the citizens’ voice in state education, state boards of education serve as an unbiased broker for education decision making, focusing on the big picture, articulating the long-term vision and needs of public education, and making policy based on the best interests of the public and the young people of America.”

In other words, the state school board serves as the state-level decision-maker.

Using the law as its guide and listening to the citizens, the State Board of Education makes the significant decisions for schools in the state, leaving the smaller decisions to local district officials. They steer policy toward long-term goals versus meddling in day-to-day situations.

Most State Boards of Educations share these common jobs:

They decide their state’s high school graduation requirements.

They choose the determining qualifications for professional education personnel within their state.

They institute their state’s accountability and assessment programs.

They create and uphold accreditation standards for local school districts within their state.

They establish preparation programs for teachers and administrators within their state.

Despite differences between states, all State Boards of Education share three responsibilities without fail (as per the NASBE):

They adopt and revise policies within their state public education system. These policies should always promote and support excellence and equity.

They gather experts and stakeholders to provide a bridge between the policymakers and the citizens of the state.

As representatives of the people in public education, they raise questions and address problems.

Through these combined powers, State Boards of Education advocate for students and educators. The board members are a group of civic-minded individuals dedicated to the quality education of the students under their care. Each state school board should strive to use their authority to make their state’s public school system an organization that cultivates a culture of success for each child.

“State board members are diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender; operate within diverse governance models and varied terms of office; are engaged in their communities; and are committed to education,” The National Association of State Boards of Education emphasizes. “All are dedicated citizen leaders, often serving in a volunteer capacity, and they hold their board service to be of utmost importance.”

More about Your State

As you educate yourself to influence education, dig deep into how your state divides up authority between the state and local arenas. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll know exactly who to call or petition when a school issue arises. The Education Commission of the States provides a handy chart outlining the primary powers and duties of each state’s school board.

As citizens, it’s our responsibility to hold our governing officials accountable, and the state school board is no exception. Even if your state’s board is appointed, you have the opportunity to vote for the state legislators and governor (the most common officials who appoint state board members).

Want to contact your state’s school board about a big-picture policy or curriculum issue? The Federal Department of Education provides the contact information for each state’s Department of Education and its various offices here.
December 18, 2021
Is America’s Education Model Outdated? With Paul Lott

Spoken word artist Prince Ea showed his audience a photo comparison of two classrooms: one from 150 years ago and one from the present day. Interestingly enough, the photos are almost identical, except one’s in color.

In his compelling speech, Prince Ea reveals that our education system is modeled after Industrial revolution ideas—a model originally intended to raise factory workers trained to “sit in straight rows, nice and neat; tell them ‘sit still, raise your hand if you want to speak’; give them a short break to eat and for 8 hours a day tell them what to think.”

And if you think about it, he isn’t completely wrong.

But, is our modern-day classroom really based on a model from the 1700 & 1800s? And if it is, what needs to change?

There’s no doubt about it: the 19th century nurtured many new philosophies, ideas, and practices that heavily influenced education, many that persist today.

A lost objective

Some people believe that the American model of education is indeed stuck in the past. The present needs of our students are bursting the seams of an insufficient structure. In their view, we have lost the true objective of education as humanity has taken a deep dive into a sea of possibility, knowledge, and capability—leaving society’s youngest members in its wake gasping for air as their education system tries to keep up.

The Noah Webster Educational Foundation conducted an interview with Paul Lott—veteran, author, and founder of the NSABA—who says, “Today’s system is designed for something in the past, it doesn’t allow for personalization in education…the education system was designed with an objective and a goal. It didn’t want to create a critical thinker, it didn’t want to take on the responsibility of being a tool of personal fulfillment—its goal was to enable the average citizen to have a minimal level of literacy to function in the society of that time.”

His historical references describe an education structure built around significantly less content. Keeping that rigid format today suffocates students because the pure scale of information that children must absorb and learn today is massive by comparison. And the society they must grow up to join is much, much different.

“We call it a waterfall, right? Lesson, lesson, lesson, quiz; lesson, lesson, quiz; test… you know. Start over again, average out the scores and keep moving. In those days, you had a small body of knowledge that you had to transform. So you had time for repetition, a discussion about it, and kind of recycling and going through it so that—it wasn’t a lot—but you could learn it well, right? Today, we have a lot more that we’re trying to have them learn,” Lott says.

Invented History?

To further explore this issue, I Googled “School and the Industrial Age.” One out of the 10 results on the first page disagreed with the idea that modern education is still operating within an old Industrial-era framework.

Audrey Watters for Hack Education says, “One of the most common ways to criticize our current system of education is to suggest that it’s based on a ‘factory model.’ An alternative condemnation: ‘industrial era.’ The implication is the same: schools are woefully outmoded.”

Watters cites a video by Khan Academy that gives a summarized history of education throughout Europe and America and how it’s evolved since the 1800s. She claims that “Khan’s story bears many of the markers of the invented history of the ‘factory model of education’ – buckets, assembly lines, age-based cohorts, whole class instruction, standardization, Prussia, Horace Mann, and a system that has not changed in 120 years.”

Invented history? Hold on…what does Prussia have to do with school? And who’s Horace Mann?

Most importantly, whose interpretation of history is correct?

The Prussian Model

Watters’ mention of Prussia references the Prussian Model of Education. This model (built in part upon the ideas of Philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte) was set in motion by King Frederick the Great, according to educator Sptphen Davis. “Frederick’s primary goal was to build a productive and obedient working class by creating an educational system that would produce competent factory workers, but not free thinkers and innovators (that was to remain in the province of the aristocracy).”

Frederick’s vision was to create a world-leading society of military power and economic success. In the process, he introduced an education model that would end up influencing America’s education goals of “reduced illiteracy; compulsory tax-funded public schools; prescribed curriculum and discrete subjects; national testing; science and technology emphasis; teacher training and certification; teacher salary systems; strengthened national identity and respect for authority; secular instruction (religion taught only as subject matter); efficiently run schools; and students tracked by vocational and academic aptitudes.”

So how does the Prussian Model connect with the influence of the factory model/industrial era educational framework?

Horace Mann Enters the Scene

Mann was born in Massachusetts at the end of the 1700s, during the industrial era. He grew up to be an education reformer and eventually a member of the first Board of Education that was established in Massachusetts.

He believed that political stability and social harmony depended on “a basic level of literacy and the inculcation of common public ideas.” He “traveled to Europe to study the Prussian model of public education” and brought back ideas for U.S. education reform.

Motivated by these new findings, he launched the common school movement. Lumen Learning explains, “A ‘common school’ was a public, often one-roomed school in the United States or Canada in the 1800s. The term was coined by Horace Mann and refers to the school’s aim to serve individuals of all social classes and religions. Students often went to the common school from ages six to fourteen (predecessor of grades 1-8).”

Britannica calls Mann “the first great American advocate of public education.” Education site Wonderopolis, established by the National Center for Families Learning, credits Mann with developing “our modern version of the school system.”

What is Audrey Watters saying?

Clearly, the Prussian Model and Horace Mann have influenced American education. So why do some people—like Hack Education’s Audrey Watters—take issue with lumping the history together and calling it “the factory model” or “industrial era model” of education?

From Watters’ point of view, “[these terms] are used as a ‘rhetorical foil’ in order to make a particular political point – not so much to explain the history of education, as to try to shape its future.”

But for Lott and others who refer back to the “industrial model of education,” the historical nature of the topic is the point.

History doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Ideas that developed during the industrial era influenced how public education was modeled then…and those impacts haven’t disappeared. Components of that history linger in education today, holding students back from reaching their full potential in our modern society

Education Reform No Matter What

While we work to determine what changes the education system needs, “our objective…cannot be to just become more educated. And that’s where we are. And that’s where we’re running into problems. We’re educating to become more educated,” says Lott.

According to an article by Joel Rose for The Atlantic, “Today our collective vision for education is broader, our nation is more complex and diverse, and our technical capabilities are more powerful.”

Because our system is based on an old model, “our collective charge in K-12 innovation today should go beyond merely designing and producing new tools. Rather, our focus should primarily be to design new classroom models that take advantage of what these tools can do. New classroom delivery models allow us to re-imagine new combinations of educator expertise, time, instructional materials, research, physical space, parental support, and (yes) technology in ways that achieve optimal outcomes for students,” concludes Rose.

While the past deserves our attention and study, it’s essential for us to recognize the areas of our society that have evolved beyond their original framework designed a few centuries ago.

When it comes to enacting reform of todays’ educational model, what’s best for students? What parts of our system should be kept and what should be reimagined? What human needs and truths have endured throughout the centuries—and which of our modern needs require modern solutions?

What do you think? Is America’s education model outdated?

Visit the Noah Webster Educational Foundation to explore more education news and resources! Click here to watch the full interview with Paul Lott.

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December 15, 2021
California High School Students Will No Longer Receive Ds or Fs

California school districts recently decided to make the move to eliminate grades D and F for high school students.

Los Angeles Unified, Oakland Unified, Sacramento City Unified, and San Diego Unified are some of the school districts working toward a competency-based learning method, according to a local ABS News station. This approach would assess students based on what they learned without being stuck to a grading scale, which some educators believe to be subjective.

“Our hope is that students begin to see school as a place of learning, where they can take risks and learn from mistakes, instead of a place of compliance,” explains Nidya Baez, the assistant principal at Fremont High in Oakland Unified School District. “Right now, we have a system where we give a million points for a million pieces of paper that students turn in, without much attention to what they’re actually learning.”

But grades are not completely being eliminated—just the ones below a C.

Under the new system, if a student fails a test, he will be allowed to retake it. If a student doesn’t complete her work in time, she will be given more time to finish. Then, if students do not know the material or do not complete their work by the end of the semester, they will receive an “incomplete” mark.

For years, education reformers have reportedly been pushing for this move in the public school system—especially since charter schools and private schools already use a similar method. Public schools opened up to the opportunity after the pandemic, as students struggled to recover from a year or more of distance learning. Districts believe that eliminating Ds and Fs will help students succeed, especially minority students.

This move to competency-based learning also follows the University of California’s decision to no longer use ACT or SAT scores as part of its application process.

Laura Schwalm, chief of staff at California Education partners and retired superintendent of Garden Grove Unified, explains that the point is to get kids into college and trade schools.

“Graduating with a D, in career and technology courses, too, leaves students with few choices,” Schwalm says. “No one is saying water down grades. This is about giving support, not lowering standards, and looking for simple ways to make grading more fair, to give kids a fighting chance and to measure what students know with multiple opportunities to show that.”

Debora Rineheart, a math and science teacher at St. Theresa School in Oakland, worries about how students will know their progress without Ds or Fs.

“I will work with any student before or after school or even on the weekend to help them learn. However, I will never lie about their knowledge level,” says Rineheart. “Not reporting Ds and Fs is the equivalent of lying about a student’s progress.”

One news platform polled users on Twitter to ask if they thought the policy should be applied more widely. While most users answered “no,” a few were adamant about the need for this new grading approach.

“School should be a tool to create successful kids not failures…a failed child needs more work not a failure grade,” wrote one user.

Those who were against the method were sure to chime in too:

“This just shows how bubble-wrapped the new generation is. Failure is a part of life,” one user criticized.

What do you think about this new grading method in California schools? Should more schools use this approach?

December 14, 2021
The Great Teacher Salary Debate
My mother was a teacher. She taught first-graders for several years and enjoyed it. She even included her first-graders in her wedding, a choice she has never seemed to regret. Now, many years later, she still talks happily about her students.

She was a resourceful and determined teacher. After leaving her school, she taught us kids at home. I remember watching her as she organized her school supplies, ordered curriculum, and set up her little classroom to her liking. She enthusiastically worked to make sure that we were engaged and learning.

Some days, she succeeded. We happily chugged along in our studies, flying through our work, our brains busily soaking up the knowledge we fed them.

Other days, it was more like torture. Miserable children sat at their places, pencils lounging between young fingers. Our eyes were anywhere but on our schoolwork. My mother exerted every trick that she knew to make us concentrate and accomplish our tasks for the day.

Whether it was a good school day or a bad school day, it required a lot from my mama.

And that’s true of all teachers, no matter the age of their students. Whether things are going well or life has hit the fan in their classroom, it takes a lot of work, patience, and ingenuity to get through each day.

In addition to the energy their job requires, teachers have a huge responsibility. They have to be a good role model to their students; they have to handle classroom drama and disputes quickly and effectively; they have to make sure that their students are engaged and growing regardless of individual personalities or learning preferences.

And it’s a big job.

Great teachers are priceless…but of course, they do have to be paid. Which brings us to the never-ending debate of “how much” this big job is worth.

Especially in the public school system, the topic of teacher salaries is ever-present.

How much should a teacher be paid? Many people think that they’re paid too much. Others suggest that the salary is far too little. Some don’t have an answer at all; they just watch from the sidelines as the argument bounces back and forth like an overtired tennis ball.

The Facts Aren’t Plain or Simple

The “Great Teacher Salary Debate” is far from straightforward. Many factors influence public opinion about teacher salaries, complicate efforts to change salaries across the board, and keep the never-ending debate alive. Here are a few:

Teacher salaries—and average incomes in general—vary widely by state. For instance, according to the World Population Review, the highest teacher salary is in New York, at $85k per year. Meanwhile, Mississippi has the lowest salary at $45k per year. Such large salary discrepancies can complicate an already-cloudy issue. What constitutes a “living wage” in one part of the country is poverty-level in other parts.

Currently, there is a teacher shortage. Supply and demand typically drive prices up, including salaries. The University of San Diego notes, “Teacher turnover is now reportedly twice as high in the U.S. as in many other countries, including high-performing nations such as Finland and Singapore.” While there are teacher shortages nationwide, these shortages are especially evident in certain states. Fresno Pacific University reports that the worst shortages are in California, Nevada, Washington, Indiana, Arizona, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia. This scarcity of qualified candidates complicates the teacher salary issue.

As Career Trend notes, teacher compensation is also influenced by the teacher’s level of education and the grade level they teach. Generally speaking, higher education equals higher pay. This adds a whole new dimension to the teacher salary debate, since starting pay isn’t necessarily the same across the board, even in the same state.

The Debate

Milton Friedman once said, “With respect to teachers’ salaries…poor teachers are grossly overpaid and good teachers grossly underpaid. Salary schedules tend to be uniform and determined far more by seniority.”

Friedman alluded to the nuance required of a successful teacher pay scale. Unfortunately, balance and nuance don’t seem to be key features in the mainstream debate over teacher salary.

Raise the Pay!

Supporters of upping teacher salaries often point to relatively lower wages in the face of inflation.

“The country’s roughly 3.2 million full-time public-school teachers (kindergarten through high school) are experiencing some of the worst wage stagnation of any profession, earning less on average, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than they did in 1990, according to Department of Education (DOE) data,” proclaims Time Magazine.

Time isn’t the only major news organization advocating for teachers in the salary department. U.S. News notes that, as of 2018, “…teachers are paid 21 percent less than similarly educated and experienced professionals. The so-called ‘teacher pay gap’ reached an all-time high in 2018, the institute’s experts have said, exacerbated by the gender gap in wages.”

EDSurge.com acknowledges this issue as well, noting that to economists, the current trends in pay declines spell trouble. When compared side by side, teacher salaries and those of other college graduates don’t appear to be comparable. “[Economist Sylvia Allegretto’s] research, based on data from the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, indicates that while educator pay has declined about $30 a week, the pay for graduates in other professions has increased approximately $124 a week. This difference in pay is what Allegretto calls the ‘teacher pay gap.’”

For many Americans, it’s time to reevaluate teachers’ salaries and pay them their due. The big question is how to accomplish this in today’s current education climate.

It’s Enough!

On the other side of the debate, City Journal suggests that teachers are paid well for their chosen profession. “…the average teacher already enjoys market-level wages plus retirement benefits vastly exceeding those of private-sector workers….Most commentary on teacher pay begins and ends with the observation that public school teachers earn lower salaries than the average college graduate. This is true, but in what other context do we assume that every occupation requiring a college degree should get paid the same? Engineers make about 25 percent more than accountants, but ‘underpaid’ accountants are not demonstrating in the streets.”

Those who believe that teachers are already paid enough for their work look at the situation in an entirely different way than those on the other side of the argument. Aside from their base pay, teachers receive perks of being a government employee, such as generous benefits and healthcare. Advocates for keeping teaching salaries as-is see these benefits as extra pay.

U.S. News recognizes that teachers enjoy good benefits, receiving roughly 52 percent higher compensation than comparable private-sector employees. The news site argues that these benefits should be taken into consideration when salary is up for debate. U.S.News then notes, “Teachers may appear underpaid because they receive lower salaries than the typical college graduate. However, prospective teachers are predominantly drawn from the bottom third of their college graduating class. Compared with those of college graduates with similar skills, teachers’ average annual salaries of around $55,000 are about right.”

Another point to consider is that education is not as rigorous as other degree paths, impacting the degree’s future economic value.

When looking at the situation through data such as this, it’s easy to understand this point of view as well. Putting the two points of view together—overpaid or underpaid—it’s not an open and shut case. Conflicting statistics, opposing data, and strong arguments mark this battle as anything but over.

Let’s Compare

Just for argument’s sake, let’s take a brief look at how teaching salaries do hold up against comparable careers. (This isn’t a straightforward comparison. Many variables can affect the hard data and the evaluation method.)

PracticalAdultInsights addresses one important variable: “Teacher pay is relatively high in terms of per-hour payment, if a minimal amount of work and effort is assumed. Many teachers, however, spend extensive periods of time at home [preparing for class]…If all of this time is taken into account, the relative worth of teacher salaries can diminish a great deal.”

The two factors brought up earlier also play a part: location and the teacher’s level of education. These variables also complicate a fair and comparable analysis and must be compensated for to get an accurate average, making a wide margin of error likely.

With these variables in mind for the sake of balance, let’s check out some numbers.

“In our 2020 Rankings and Estimates, NEA found that the national average teacher salary is $63,645,” reports the National Education Association. “…The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) notes that comparable professionals with similar education earn higher salaries. Nationally, teachers earn 19% less than similarly skilled and educated professionals. This ‘teaching penalty’ has increased significantly over the 20 plus years, from 6% in 1996 to 19% in 2019.”

The policy journal National Affairs takes issue with the EPI, pointing to several problems with the NEA’s evaluation methods. “Alternative measures of skill indicate how fragile EPI’s results are,” National Affairs explains. “Once again, there is significant variation in annual salaries even among jobs with similar skill requirements. Only half of occupations are paid within 10% of what their profession’s BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics] grade predicts. In other words, it’s normal for occupational salaries to be above or below what occupational skill requirements might predict, and we could hardly assume that every deviation is evidence that an occupation is improperly paid.” The journal continues to lay out a large list of problems with the EPI.

But is the NEA the only group concerned with the teacher pay gap? According to PayScale, that answer is no. “The average earnings of workers with at least a four-year college degree are more than 50 percent higher than teachers’ average earnings. When comparing the salaries of teachers with graduate degrees to other professionals, the figures are even more alarming. When PayScale examined Graduate Degrees by Salary Potential, education jobs came in toward the bottom across the board. Educators with doctoral degrees began with an average pay of $61,300 (rank 155th) and those with master’s degrees started with an average salary of $43,900 (rank 199).”

Let’s Recap

There is evidence on both sides of the coin. Teachers work extremely hard, often spend lots of extra time working for their students outside regular school hours, and literally hold the future of our country in their classrooms. On the other hand, as government workers, teachers have fairly good benefits, which can help to supplement their base pay.

One possible solution is a merit-paid salary system. We explored this concept in a recent article about the one-size-fits-all approach often seen in schools today. In the article, educator and former school board member Dr. Karen Hiltz explained, ‘“I was at a meeting of administrators and teachers who were talking about the pay scale….So I’m sitting there listening, and I said, ‘Well, have you ever thought of, maybe, pay banding? Or a performance-based pay scale?’”

As a concept, this idea seems worthy of exploration so effective teachers can receive the pay they so richly deserve.

What do you think? Should teachers be paid more or is the problem blown out of proportion? Is it a national crisis or more of a local issue? And finally—how should the current teacher shortage impact what we’re willing to pay for good teachers?

If you’re a teacher, drop us a line at info@nwef.org to share your experience with pay and benefits in your state. What do people need to know about the finances of teaching?
December 13, 2021
Why School Discipline is in a Free Fall

“Why didn’t someone see what was about to happen?”

As Albert Mohler presents in his podcast, The Briefing, this is something we often wonder when tragedy strikes—like the school shooting that took place in Oxford, Michigan.

On November 30, 2021, 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley allegedly shot 10 students and a teacher in his school, killing four of the students.

What makes this case even more disturbing, as Mohler points out, is that there seems to be many people who did see that this was about to happen. The events leading up to the shooting stack up into convincing evidence that Ethan wanted to inflict harm.

Perhaps the most incriminating moment was when a teacher found an alarming drawing on Ethan’s desk the day of the shooting. The drawing depicted bullets and a person who was shot along with words like “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me” and “The world is dead.” The teacher reported the incident, and Ethan was sent to the principal’s office with his backpack.

His parents took an hour and a half to arrive and denied a request to take Ethan home. When they saw Ethan’s drawing, they failed to mention that they had purchased a gun that previous Friday. They never asked Ethan if he had brought the gun to school with him. Without this knowledge, school counselors believed that Ethan did not pose a threat due to his demeanor, his answers to their questions, and his lack of prior disciplinary problems.

So, he was sent back to class. Not long after, he started shooting.

Ethan’s parents potentially had reason to believe he had possession of the gun. The day before the shooting, November 29, the school caught Ethan searching for ammunition online. Although his mother didn’t answer the school’s calls or emails, she did send Ethan a text saying, “Lol. I’m not mad at you. You have to learn not to get caught.”

In a recent episode of The Briefing, Mohler brings up questions we’re all wondering. For instance, if Ethan’s parents knew what their son was struggling with, why would they have allowed him to have access to a gun? Why did they give him one that could fit into his backpack? Why did his mom seem to cheer him on when he got in trouble at school?

And why didn’t they mention the gun when they were called in by the school?

All these unanswered questions are perhaps why Ethan’s parents are being charged with involuntary manslaughter.

In the wake of tragedies like this, pro-Second Amendment and gun control experts alike come forward to give their opinion on what should have happened and what needs to happen in the future. Yes, it was legal for Ethan’s father to purchase the pistol in Michigan. It wasn’t legal for Ethan, a minor, to possess that gun outside of certain situations like hunting with an adult.

But gun rights aside, there’s a larger issue at stake. Yes, Ethan used a gun to inflict harm upon others, but gun or no gun, this boy was struggling. I believe he would have found a way to carry out his violent urges, with or without a gun.

Ethan’s actions illustrate a blatant disregard for the law, not just in his own family, but in society as a whole.

Mohler makes the interesting claim that “the public schools are just emblematic of the larger society. Only ironically, as it might be said only more so.”

How is that?

As Mohler says, society has failed to “[make] decisions that might be unpopular—but are clearly right—indeed, clearly necessary.” And that’s because schools have lost the authority to implement any discipline.

For example, I know a teacher in New Jersey whose school prohibits her from using negative words to talk about students. While teachers certainly shouldn’t be disrespectful to students, what about situations when a student is being dishonest, unkind—or even showing behavior like Ethan Crumbley? Isn’t the whole reason for using “negative” words to correct the behavior so it doesn’t happen again?

And it’s much worse in other areas. Mohler brings up one school in Kentucky where there were 6,700 fights in the first 71 days of the academic year. The union president of the school sums it up like this: “Right now, these kids know they’re untouchable and until there are consequences for their actions, they’re not stupid. They know what they can get away with. They know there’s no punishment other than maybe a one-day suspension or something like that.”

Of course. Without discipline, why wouldn’t students do whatever they want?

But here’s the truth.

Discipline, while oftentimes unglamorous, is for the benefit of the child. It’s to avoid problems down the road, so something terrible doesn’t happen.

As Mohler says, what makes this situation in Michigan and in these other schools even sadder is that it’s mirrored outside of the schools. In many places across the country, especially urban areas, crime has skyrocketed. People aren’t being held accountable for their actions.

It’s important then for parents to consider not just the curriculum that’s taught in school, but the moral culture. What disciplinary actions are in place—if any at all? Ask the tough questions. Hold your school accountable. After all, the future of our society depends on how kids are molded in school.

And we don’t want another situation where someone sees what is about to happen, but fails to take action.

The bottom line is this: we need discipline to function as a society. As Mohler concludes, “If there is a breakdown in discipline, nothing else will really matter.”

December 11, 2021
How Content Makes Education Even More Political: With Dr. Mark Smith
Think of the first time you dropped your child off at school.

What did you imagine for their future? You were probably feeling some bittersweet emotions as you realized how quickly they were growing up, but you were also excited to watch them launch into the world for the first time.

You have glimpses of them bringing home class projects to show you, making new friends, honing their skills, and learning from new experiences. You hope and pray they’ll grow up to be well-educated, kind adults who will be responsible community members.

But right now, you’re in the thick of their education, and you’re dealing with some strange things. Maybe your kids are confused about the founding of America—wait, America was founded in 1619 now? Hold up! Or perhaps your kids have been told that gender is a social construct and there’s really no such thing as male and female. And on it goes…

Help!

It’s no secret that America’s classrooms are political and ideological battlegrounds. Schools everywhere are focused on (or shall we say, endlessly distracted by) societal issues and trends. Where did all this come from? Apart from some key philosophical influences of the last century, there are a few practices in place that have led to the hot political climate inside schools.

What are we dealing with?

Over the last few decades, the education system has shifted away from what the Heritage Foundation calls a “well-rounded elementary and middle-school curriculum, rich in literature, history, geography, science, and the arts that would endow them with the basic assortment of mental furniture—general knowledge, allusions, and idioms—that educated Americans take for granted.”

Of course, what we’re seeing is much more complicated than that.

You’ve probably thought to yourself: I wish they’d keep politics out of school and just teach my kids how to read and write! Maybe you’re angry that agendas are getting pushed at your kids. You’re not wrong to want the system to do what your tax dollars are ultimately paying it to do.

But the reality is that public education is inescapably political.

Jonathan Lancaster for the New Jersey Education Association says, “In every facet, education is political. The outcomes of elections determine your school board’s policies, your school district’s budget, who becomes your superintendent, your content standards, your health care contributions, your time off—even your daily Pledge of Allegiance is dictated by politics. By its very nature of being a public institution, public education is political.”

Skills vs. Content

With that in mind, let’s explore how content is making education even more political.

You’ve probably noticed that schools have gotten good at pumping out young activists and social justice warriors. Why? The key relationship between skills and content has been ignored and then malformed in schools for roughly 30 years. This created a severe gap between the two aspects of education, turning the classroom into a ripe environment for political agendas to grow.

So what’s the difference between skills and content—and why are they central to education? Teacher Bernie Bleske describes skills vs. content like this: “Hammering nails is a skill. Building a house is content….Hammering nails is something everyone can learn….But you can’t just teach people how to hammer nails any more than you can simply teach kids how to read and count. They’ve got to read and count something.”

Therefore, to make curricula more “equitable”, the education system began focusing on skills over content because content is easily “biased.” Bleske continues to explain this case: “We’ve had to build libraries of material, to give to kids, to teach to whole classes, that somehow elude the multiple complications of content yet still inspire passion and care. Old white guys are out. Traditional works, nope. Religion? H**l, no! So many reasons to reject works. The language is too difficult, or the history too fraught, the author controversial, the themes objectionable.”

What happens then? After satisfying an obsession with political correctness through a content purge of all supposedly offensive themes and language, what can be taught to kids?

“Stories that confront bullying and prejudice. Nobody can object to that. The injustice of judgment, yes! Kids love that stuff. Thwarted individuality? Perfect….30 years later we have generations of the best students going to college completely fired up about Social Justice. They were all raised entirely on a diet of it,” Bleske concludes.

And this has led to an evolution of entire classes. The Heritage Foundation points out that there’s been a “quiet revolution in civics education has been gaining ground in recent years, emphasizing student ‘voice’ and ‘agency,’ as well as direct participation in public affairs, politics, and protest. Where civics education has historically concerned itself with ensuring that students know how a bill becomes law, ‘action civics’ seeks to close a ‘civic empowerment gap’ and to reverse the ‘marginalization of youth voice.’”

What are the consequences of this cycle?

So now those social-justice-fed students are the adults running our education system, continuing the cycle.

The politicization of public education has rolled steadily downhill, gaining speed and momentum. And the sad reality is that kids are now caught in the middle of an ideas war.

In an interview with NWEF, Dr. Mark Smith, education commissioner of South Carolina and President of Columbia International University, said that, “We have groups in our nation that couldn’t care less about the children, but they care a lot about idea control. And so now you’ve got groups that are not interested in reading, writing, and arithmetic; they just want to make sure their agenda is in the middle of the education process….The agenda of education has moved so far from the child and has become a political football for self-interest groups.”

This game of political football and the special focus of self-interest groups feeds the cycle. Turns out that politicized education creates hyper-political students who “routinely participate in rallies and demonstrations on controversial issues, such as climate change and gun control. Schools and districts seem less likely to be concerned with presenting a balanced view of contemporary controversies than whether students should be held accountable for skipping class to participate.”

What you can do!

Education is always evolving. What do you do if you don’t like what you see? If you don’t like what your children are being taught?

“There is a foreseeable price to be paid for the reluctance to engage on the foundational question of what the 45 million public school children across the country should know, and leaving it to chance or whim. Doing so risks abandoning the next generation to semi-literacy and, therefore, less than full citizenship,” the Heritage Foundation concludes.

Parents, teachers, and legislators have the responsibility to evaluate educational content and ask themselves two questions:

Is this content leading farther away from what kids need and should know to successfully function as adults?

Is it teaching them how to practice healthy citizenship?

Of course, children should be trained to be involved citizens. But they shouldn’t be exploited in a national game of political football.

Teach your kids that there is objective truth, and share with them your values and morals as they grow—so that one day, when they look out into the world and see real injustice and suffering, they can fight with truth and compassion.

Check out our website and blog to find more resources that will help you improve education in America. You can also subscribe to the Noah Webster Educational Foundation for news and helpful information.

Check out our full interview with Dr. Mark Smith here!
December 8, 2021
School Racial Equity Committee Defends Co-Chair’s Inappropriate Behavior Against Parents

On Thursday, members of the Racial Equity Committee at a Fort-Worth school held a news conference to defend their co-chair leaking personal parent information on social media.

Norma Garcia-Lopez, the co-chair of Fort Worth Independent School District’s Racial Equity Committee, has admitted to sharing personal parent information on social media and leaving a profanity-ridden voicemail to a parent. In response to her behavior, the Daily Mail reports that members of the committee have drafted a resolution for the school to show its “support for Garcia-Lopez as co-chair of the Racial Equity Committee, with a note of appreciation and thanks.”

The targeted parents had filed a lawsuit against the district for its implementation of a mask mandate and won a temporary injunction in August. Following the injunction, Garcia-Lopez researched one of the mothers who filed the lawsuit and used a blocked number to leave her a voicemail filled with profanity.

“F**** you, you stupid b****. F**** you with your white privilege, not caring about the well-being of others, f*** you,” Garcia-Lopez said in the voicemail recording obtained by the Daily Mail.

Garcia-Lopez even expressed her frustration via her since-deleted Twitter account. She shared, “It’s astounding what the ‘White Privilege’ power from Tanglewood has vs a whole diverse community that cares for the well being of others. These are their names: Jennifer Treger, Todd Daniel, Kerri Rehmeyer, and a coward Jane Doe. Internet, do your thang.”

She even went on Facebook to share phone numbers, home addresses, and employer information of the parents. When one person thanked Garcia-Lopez for sharing the information, Garcia-Lopez responded that “they definitely need to be called out.”

In a few statements to the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, Garcia-Lopez acknowledged and defended her behavior. She said she was angry and wanted to address the parents who are putting minority children in danger. According to the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, the CDC claims that children of color are disproportionately influenced by the pandemic.

“Some people consider my actions doxxing,” Garcia-Lopez shared with the Star-Telegram. “It’s not doxxing when you expose someone who filed a public motion in a public court of law that impacts public school children.”

“Doxxing” can be defined as “to search for and publish private or identifying information about a particular individual on the internet, typically with malicious intent.”

“My message contained harsh language—no threats,” Garcia-Lopez said in response to the voicemail she left. “Some people find my choice of words in that message offensive. But what’s really offensive is that four white parents could hold so much power.”

Garcia-Lopez said that she has since received messages from parents that are “racist and fat-shaming,” also saying that she needs to “go back to Mexico” and that she’s “a great candidate for having a stroke.” She has had her own information doxxed and claims she received death threats against her and her family.

She has since moved, allegedly at the recommendation of local law enforcement for her safety.

“They sent a lynch mob to attack me,” explained Garcia-Lopez. “They want to silence me from advocating for equity, by pressuring me into resigning as co-chair of the Racial Equity Committee.”

Kerri Rehmeyer, the mother who received the voicemail from Garcia-Lopez, admits the criticism against Garcia-Lopez went too far. But she denies the claim about sending a lynch mob. She explains that “all we did was go to the media with what she had done to us.”

She also condemns anyone who sent racist or threatening messages to Garcia-Lopez. “That’s just totally uncalled for,” Rehmeyer says.

However, Rehmeyer finds Garcia-Lopez’s decision to tell people to go after her and other parents unacceptable.

“I received 17 voicemails at work from one person,” Rehmeyer says, adding that some of the other parents’ companies received bad reviews online from people who weren’t even clients. “I had a previous client who said she hoped that I died.”

Rehmeyer says the controversy “has nothing to do with equity work,” but rather how Garcia-Lopez treats parents.

“She’s not holding to the standards that they have for teachers and students,” Rehmeyer explains. She says that parents sent screenshots of Garcia-Lopez’s actions to the school board, but they haven’t gotten a response.

“It’s unacceptable to me that they’re not holding her accountable,” Rehmeyer says.

The Racial Equity Committee’s other co-chair, Quentin Phillips, says the resolution to support Garcia-Lopez is a draft and will receive approval from all committee members before moving to the school board.

What do you think about the behavior of the committee co-chair? What about the response of the parents?

December 7, 2021