Op-Ed: Banning ideas in schools isn't the answer — parents must be active citizens

Originally published in The Hill.

The Florida Board of Education recently unanimously voted to ban critical race theory from public schools, in an effort to prevent biased narratives that could enable teachers with political agendas to “[teach] kids to hate their country,” according to Gov. Ron DeSantis. This effort, although well-intentioned, is not enough.

Don’t get me wrong, I find critical race theory to be insidious. I don’t want my kids learning a divisive framework that rejects merit and forces them to fixate on racial differences. Rather than inspiring students to pursue the American Dream, it grooms them to believe that America was and is a nightmare.

Thankfully, many parents aren’t buying into the theory. In Loudoun County, Va., parents launched a recall effort in March against members of the school board for making changes to curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic while approval protocols were on hold. (The district denied using critical race theory in its curriculum and employee training.)

In Pennsylvania…

Read more at The Hill.