Summer is NOT the time for parents to rest and relax when it comes to education.
Jan Greenhawk/Editor- Easton Gazette
As Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, the unofficial start of Summer is here. For parents, it's a time when the kids will be home all day long free from school schedules. Some parents enjoy this, especially sleeping in, but others find it hard to manage. Most find activities to keep kids occupied while they work to find time to relax and take a deep breath.
Parents and other community members often take a break from being involved in the school system and what is happening over the summer. School board meetings become more deserted than ever before, and it seems people have put aside all the issues they found crucial.
The question parents should ask is, "What can I do on summer vacation to protect my child's education?" Many will think, "nothing."
This is a bad mistake.
Many assume that Summer is a time of quiet and non-action in their local schools; they are dangerously wrong.
For those who don't know, Summer is when school systems "make the sausage." During the Summer, teachers aren't working every day, but Central Office staff is. This is when Superintendents make changes in school leadership, move staff around, and implement huge changes in how and by whom schools are run. It's also when all the staff development sessions and curriculum development occur.
If parents are not paying attention, these changes will be implemented during the next school year without a single notice to the public. Sure, there will be press releases about administrative changes in schools, but not a word will be written about new curriculum, policies or practices in schools. The well-adjusted child parents send to school in September will not be the same in October; parents may see a different, radically indoctrinated child after just a couple of months.
Many parents won't know how summer will change what children will be taught in the upcoming year. They will not be aware of all the staff training that occurred during the summer, training that will change how teachers view and deal with students. Some of it will be harmless or even positive. Sadly, a lot of it will be antithetical to what parents want for their children or, even worse, an impediment to the mental and academic growth of students.
In Maryland, this will be magnified by the implementation of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future as it goes into high gear. Plans have been written and approved by the all-powerful State Accountability and Implementation Board. Funding is in place. Systems will be bringing new professional employees into the schools to fill everything from three-year-old program teaching vacancies to mental health counselors and psychologists. Newly graduated teachers will be trained in every form of indoctrination and ideology and will implement them with zeal and energy. This quote from the Teach Maryland website gives a glimpse inside the mind of one of these zealous teachers:
For me, teaching is a revolutionary act of love. As long as student success is inhibited by social, political, and economic barriers, education must be the disruptive force through teaching that seeks to eliminate disparity and cultivate equity. Teaching is the vehicle through which justice and humanity are restored for our communities."
BRIANNA ROSS,
6th Grade Teacher, Baltimore County Teacher of the Year 2021-22
Notice anything? Nowhere does this "Teacher of the Year" mention academic growth or content knowledge. She sees her job as being "disruptive." When a person disrupts something, they interfere in it rather than improve it. When I taught, the disruptive student was the one who impeded the learning of others.
I'm not saying that this teacher is doing something bad or wrong on purpose. I think she truly believes she is there to create activists rather than capable, knowledgeable adults. She has been sworn into the Progressive educator cult.
The new teachers hired under the Blueprint Pillar of "Highly Qualified and Diverse Staff "will have graduated schools that taught them all about CRT, Social emotional intelligence, and culturally responsive teaching. Few of them will be able to teach academic content.
Another part of the Blueprint quietly implemented during the summer will be the concept of "Community Schools." As we have written before, community schools don't mean schools in your neighborhood. Community schools are described on the Maryland Public Schools website; "Community schools provide a wide array of wraparound services that enhance student’s ability to be successful." This sounds so good until you realize that this concept, developed by the WHO, CDC, and the U.S. Department of Education is an attempt to subvert the rights and responsibilities of parents and families:
Community schools' 'woke' indoctrination agenda - Washington Times
The wraparound services mentioned above include everything from medical, dental, nutritional and psychological services to job training for parents and members of the community. Parents will get home visits from staff who will make sure children are being fed and raised appropriately according to the government template.
When parents walk their children into school this Fall, they will be accosted by a mob of nurses, physicians, mental health counselors, psychologists, and job trainers, all vying for you to hand your child into their care. It will be like a mall filled with all the kiosks asking you to try their "products." Except this time if you don't try the "dead sea salt" the salesperson might follow you home or report you.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be new educational resources and materials, new publishers and online education sites implemented. They will all sail through approval via the school administration or the Board of Education during a time when no one is looking. Officials in government will make sure that publishers know the agenda they want pushed. Here is a letter from ten Progressive Governors telling publishers that the complaints of parents and communities regarding incorrect history or blatant sexuality in books are to be ignored.
Moore joins Democratic governors in call to fight textbook censorship - WTOP News
Summer is also the time when the teachers gather all the ancillary educational materials to teach units. Parents and even school board members may never know what those materials are. New books will be placed in school libraries with little or no care for if they are appropriate for our children. Pornography will be made available in the guise of "tolerance."
During the summer parents have time to learn about these resources and do a deep dive into publishers, county curricula, and the books children will be reading in the classroom and over the summer. They will have time to find reviews of books placed in the libraries. They can research publishers, authors and the groups that promote these materials.
Parents can look up the companies/groups that provide classroom instructional resources. Also, there will be time look into the local library or management board and possible attend meetings of these groups.
Parents/community members should also attend summer school board meetings and pay attention to budgeting, policy adoption, and implementation of any new programs. Being informed early helps parents prepare for the upcoming school year. It also gives parents a chance to speak up and ask questions at meetings when they see issues, problems, or policies they don't agree with.
If things don't fit a parents' beliefs, they will have time to make a change to a private school or to homeschooling.
One of the most important thing parents can do during the summer is breach the gap in their child's education. Reading books together, history books, great literature, life changing stories will provide children with not only a sound foundation in reading but also ideals. They can go on day trips to historic sites and teach their child about the history of this great country. Many think this is happening in the local school, but it is more likely that it isn't.
There are also various summer camps and programs where a child can investigate content areas like math, science, art, and music. After vetting these camps and programs carefully, they should make a great choice some for their child.
Of course, most of us want to slow down over the summer and relax. We want to go on vacation, spend time with family enjoying fun activities. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it's the best thing we can do for our children because it creates strong family bonds with them. Those family bonds will help keep our kids from being unduly influenced by radical, extreme, predatory adults. It's what Marxists fear, because they spread their poison most effectively when they have our kids. As a friend and fellow Moms of Liberty Chapter Chair put it, "Let the unschooling begin!"
Have a wonderful summer!
Just remember to spend some time staying involved watching your local public schools.
75 Educational Websites for Teachers: The Ultimate List | Albert Resources
