{"id":954243,"date":"2021-11-02T15:14:24","date_gmt":"2021-11-02T19:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=954243"},"modified":"2021-11-02T15:14:27","modified_gmt":"2021-11-02T19:14:27","slug":"5-ways-parents-are-being-silenced-by-school-boards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/5-ways-parents-are-being-silenced-by-school-boards\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways Parents Are Being Silenced By School Boards"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2F5-ways-parents-are-being-silenced-by-school-boards%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=954243&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Over the last year, school board meetings nationwide have been the center of heated debates over contentious issues like mask and vaccine mandates for students, critical race theory in classrooms, and more.&nbsp;Rather than reform their practices to reflect the will of parents \u2014 whose taxes pay their salaries \u2014 school boards have increasingly turned to a number of tactics and stratagems that muzzle parents from influencing their own children\u2019s schooling.<\/p>\n<p>Many school officials seem to treat parents\u2019 ability to comment on their children\u2019s education as a fully revokable indulgence extended by the government. For instance, the Ohio School Boards Association <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ohioschoolboards.org\/sites\/default\/files\/uploads\/OSBAPublicParticipationBoardMeetingsFactSheet.pdf\">informs<\/a> parents that, under state law, \u201cThere is not a legal requirement that [school board] meetings afford the public an opportunity to comment or otherwise participate in the meeting.\u201d A number of districts seemingly tell parents they should consider themselves privileged to address such an august body of learned bureaucrats.<\/p>\n<p>As parents persist in making their voices heard, school boards have increasingly restricted \u201cpublic comment\u201d at school board meetings. Here are five of the most common roadblocks school boards erect to parental rights:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.&nbsp;Forcing parents to publicly dox themselves at tense school board meetings <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>School board officials claim they have faced death threats, obscene phone calls, and demonstrations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heraldtribune.com\/story\/news\/local\/2021\/10\/05\/sarasota-school-board-chairwoman-shirley-brown-targeted-protesters-home-tyrant-demand-resignation\/6001468001\/\">outside their homes<\/a>. Yet, they often ask parents to publicly state their name and full street address before addressing the same crowds which administrators insist pose a threat of imminent violence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEach speaker is asked to state his or her name and home address for the record. Failure to do so will result in an individual not being allowed to speak,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-10137611\/Outrage-Minnesota-school-board-orders-parents-announce-HOME-ADDRESS-speaking-meeting.html\">said<\/a> chairwoman Jodi Sapp of the Mankato (Minnesota) Area Public Schools on October 18. When a parent made multiple attempts to avoid giving his precise address, Sapp made clear that only a complete street address would suffice. \u201cMy name is John Wicklund, and I live in Mankato,\u201d an unhappy father said as he introduced himself. \u201cJohn, you need to give your address,\u201d Sapp replied. \u201cI live on Fifth Street,\u201d he said. \u201cHouse number?\u201d she <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LvWyzTs8ceo\">demanded<\/a>, which he supplied.<\/p>\n<p>A similar policy holds in Prince William County, Virginia. \u201cWhen you are called to the podium, please state your name and address for the record,\u201d said chairman Barbur Lateef at a recent meeting. In their case, parents may give the school board their address privately and <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/dmRy9_ZoBa0?t=553\">say<\/a>, \u201cMy address is on file\u201d at the podium.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.&nbsp;Speak only to agenda<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the last year, school board meetings nationwide have been the center of heated debates over contentious issues like mask and vaccine mandates for students, critical race theory in classrooms, and more.\u00a0Rather than reform their practices to reflect the will of parents \u2014 whose taxes pay their salaries \u2014 school boards have increasingly turned to a number of tactics and stratagems that muzzle parents from influencing their own children\u2019s schooling.Many school officials seem to treat parents\u2019 ability to comment on their children\u2019s education as a fully revokable indulgence extended by the government. For instance, the Ohio School Boards Association informs parents that, under state law, \u201cThere is not a legal requirement that [school board] meetings afford the public an opportunity to comment or otherwise participate in the meeting.\u201d A number of districts seemingly tell parents they should consider themselves privileged to address such an august body of learned bureaucrats.As parents persist in making their voices heard, school boards have increasingly restricted \u201cpublic comment\u201d at school board meetings. Here are five of the most common roadblocks school boards erect to parental rights:1.\u00a0Forcing parents to publicly dox themselves at tense school board meetings School board officials claim they have faced death threats, obscene phone calls, and demonstrations outside their homes. Yet, they often ask parents to publicly state their name and full street address before addressing the same crowds which administrators insist pose a threat of imminent violence.\u201cEach speaker is asked to state his or her name and home address for the record. Failure to do so will result in an individual not being allowed to speak,\u201d said chairwoman Jodi Sapp of the Mankato (Minnesota) Area Public Schools on October 18. When a parent made multiple attempts to avoid giving his precise address, Sapp made clear that only a complete street address would suffice. \u201cMy name is John Wicklund, and I live in Mankato,\u201d an unhappy father said as he introduced himself. \u201cJohn, you need to give your address,\u201d Sapp replied. \u201cI live on Fifth Street,\u201d he said. \u201cHouse number?\u201d she demanded, which he supplied.A similar policy holds in Prince William County, Virginia. \u201cWhen you are called to the podium, please state your name and address for the record,\u201d said chairman Barbur Lateef at a recent meeting. In their case, parents may give the school board their address privately and say, \u201cMy address is on file\u201d at the podium.2.\u00a0Speak only to agenda items approved by school board membersOther school districts have seized upon another way of stifling parents\u2019 dissent: Forcing parents to comment only on agenda items approved by the school board. By implication, if the school board does not approve discussion of certain topics \u2014such as vaccine mandates or controversial Critical Race Theory \u2014 parents must forever hold their peace.Once again, the policy found a home in Mankato, Minnesota. \u201cBeginning at the November 1st school board meeting open forum participation will be limited to those individuals who wish to speak to an item on the board agenda. The board agendas are always made available the Thursday prior to our meetings and they are always on the district\u2019s website,\u201d Sapp said on October 18.Again, the Prince Williams County (Virginia) School Board also\u00a0adopted\u00a0a new\u00a0policy\u00a0on September 15 that limits parental\/taxpayer comments in part by insisting that all comments be \u201cconfined to the subject of the hearing,\u201d\u00a0as well as insisting parents address these topics \u201cdirectly\u201d \u2014 a word the policy uses six times.3. Sign an NDA to see your child\u2019s curriculumParents in Loudoun County, Virginia, have raised serious questions about the impact of an \u201canti-racist\u201d syllabus adopted by the school district known as the \u201cSecond Step\u201d curriculum. Public school officials eventually allowed parents to see what their employees are teaching the area\u2019s children \u2014 but only if they first sign\u00a0a non-disclosure agreement-like document.The district policy informs those signing that this is not a \u201cpublic\u201d document and that \u201ccopying, broadcast or recording of any kind is prohibited.\u201d While the school says this has been done to protect the commercial value of the curriculum, parents note that other commercial curricula have no such restrictions. The policy potentially bars parents from telling others the contents of a curriculum paid for by their own tax dollars.4. \u2018F*** you,\u2019 \u2018A**hole\u2019: Vile insults hurled at parentsAlthough the legacy media frequently caricature conservative parents as profane bullies, it is often school board members themselves who hurl demeaning insults at parents. Last Tuesday, concerned mother\u00a0Lauren Roupoli told a meeting of the Los Alamitos Unified School Board of Education that parents spoke out on mask and vaccine mandates for one reason: \u201cWe are vocal, because we are our children\u2019s biggest advocates.\u201d President Marlys Davidson responded by saying, \u201cF*** you.\u201d Her profane outburst was caught on a hot mic.That was but one of a number of such incidents. In late spring, a parent named Rich Tyson told his local school board members, \u201cYou work for us\u201d and drew a scathing retort. \u201cYou\u2019re not gonna stand up here and do anything to me, a**hole,\u201d said board member William Yaeger\u00a0of Penfield, New York. The two came close to having a physical altercation but other members of the board restrained Yaeger.Los Alamitos (CA) School Board President, Marlys Davidson, didn\u2019t realize her mic was still on and said \u201cF*** You\u201d to a parent sharing their concerns about vaccine and mask mandates. @dbongino @seanhannity @JackPosobiec @DonaldJTrumpJr @IngrahamAngle pic.twitter.com\/BFJnFZ5tvh\u2014 Rachel Sandoval (@thesoapypea) October 27, 2021After a parent asked NY school board member Bill Yaeger to be respectful to other parents, Yaeger told him, &#8220;You&#8217;re not gonna stand up here and do anything to me, a**hole.&#8221; The parent then confronts him &#038; Yaeger is physicallyMasks. pic.twitter.com\/xD3E25DChC\u2014 Amanda (@AmandaPresto) June 9, 20215. Calling on the Justice Department to investigate parents under the Patriot ActAt the risk of understatement, calling on the federal government to investigate parents whose actions you describe as harassing or threatening chills robust public debate. Still, the National School Boards Association appealed to the Biden administration\u2019s Justice Department to investigate parental outbursts, which \u201ccould be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes,\u201d prodding the DOJ to use the Patriot Act if necessary. The NSBA later apologized for its letter.Attorney General Merrick Garland almost instantaneously issued a memorandum stating, \u201cThe Department takes these incidents seriously and is committed to using its authority and resources to discourage these threats, identify them when they occur, and prosecute them when appropriate.\u201d Under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee last Wednesday, Garland admitted to Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) that \u201cmost\u201d of the incidents cited to justify the federal intervention did not involve violence of any kind.Complete exchange between @SenTomCotton and Attorney Merrick General Garland on school board memo.Cotton concludes: &#8220;Thank God you are not on the Supreme Court. You should resign in disgrace, Judge.&#8221; pic.twitter.com\/PunUjPUwte\u2014 CSPAN (@cspan) October 27, 2021These tactics will only increase as parents and the public education establishment remain divided over the demands of teachers unions. \u201cThe teachers unions have pitted themselves against the regular parents, the regular Americans out there \u2026 in a variety of ways, whether it\u2019s mask mandates or the vaccine mandates, or them refusing to come into class,\u201d Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) recently told Brian Kilmeade. \u201cThe parents were really, really getting frustrated with the school closures over the past year-and-a-half, the mask-wearing that everybody knows is unnecessary for small children, and [public school administrators] just keep doing it, anyway.\u201dAs President Joe Biden basks in the memory of his recent meeting with Pope Francis, he may want to reflect on what his church teaches about the inalienable right of parents to control their children\u2019s education. \u201c[P]arents have the right to\u00a0choose a school for them\u00a0which corresponds to their own convictions. This right is fundamental,\u201d\u00a0according\u00a0to the\u00a0Catechism of the Catholic Church. \u201cPublic authorities have the duty of guaranteeing this parental right and of ensuring the concrete conditions for its exercise.\u201dAt a minimum, that ought to include the right to speak at their children\u2019s school board meetings without silencing, fear, intimidation, or harassment. Should a \u201cdevout Catholic\u201d like Biden harbor any qualms about assuring such a reasonable request?The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":76,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-954243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/76"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=954243"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/954243\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=954243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=954243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=954243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}