Aaron Alexander: Federally Funded K-12 Indoctrination Is Hurting America's Future.

Our public school system, increasingly controlled by ideologues, invites student indoctrination to go unchallenged.

In1965, the U.S enacted the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA which made the government the primary source of federal K-12 support. This was one of the worst policy decisions the federal government has ever enacted, even by 2021 standards.

Federalizing education stripped away parents rights in deciding what information their children could and couldn’t be exposed to - lessons on abortion and drag queens in the second grade, as example. Public schools as of late has become an “echo chamber” for these age-inappropriate lessons and more. Defined by the lack of ability to hear opposing narratives that threaten the already accepted majority idea, an echo chamber is precisely what students in today’s public school environment are locked into.

A recent study done by Verdant Labs reported that for every 3 conservative teachers there were 97 liberals occupying the position of English teachers.

Most students in the U.S are taught how to communicate and what to communicate by educators with an alarming left-leaning majority. A recent study done by Verdant Labs reported that for every 3 conservative teachers there were 97 liberals occupying the position of English teachers. This same study shows that in math for every 13 conservative teachers there are 87 liberals. The National Council on the Teaching of English insists that, “There is no apolitical classroom,” and they are correct.

Those parents wishing to have their children master geography, logic, or even technology are instead stuck with schools that place an outsized focus on the supposed "systemic racism," or how BLM is a movement that has created "space for black and brown people," or the evils of non-state sanctioned religion (science or woke-ism are the state-sanctioned religions I’m speaking of).

How does it benefit to teaching black students that the world is stacked against them, or that people will do anything to see them fail, no matter how brilliant or capable they are?

How does it benefit to teaching black students that the world is stacked against them, or that people will do anything to see them fail, no matter how brilliant or capable they are? The answer is that it doesn't. This type of rhetoric causes even the highest academic achievers to question their own abilities and to second guess their every move.

It also gives an easy excuse to explain away any wrongdoing without proper self-reflection. There will never be any incentive to push oneself to be the best if at every turn the fear of secret racism is looming around the corner.

The test wasn’t made for people like me, that’s how white people talk, or I just can’t do it simply put are the many excuses black students in public education get away with on a daily basis because when everyone is lumped into the same boat, who has time to give a student the specialized education they need? It’s easier to write off a lack of effort and proper preparation with the tried and true tag of racism.

Looking at the K-12 curriculum, the traditional subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic will always be the backbone of education, but what innovation have we seen? Over the years our education has not transformed to fit the many needs and interests of students, especially the disengaged minority students. As the world changes education and its avenues should evolve with it. How to do one’s taxes, fixing a car, the basics of coding, cooking a meal, even beginner sewing techniques are all valuable skills with the potential to assist someone in the beginning of their adult lives. Each individual ought to be growing in their skillsets and interests, but there are no trades, let alone basic life skills, taught in school anymore. In promoting the

Marxist ideals of valuing the collective over respecting individual academic and creative freedom stymies students' intellectual development. As a result, they are being robbed of their ability to cultivate their interests and pursue their unique gifts.

If we are truly capable of being anything that we want to be, why are our students all pressed down the road of government-mandated conformity? Graduation from a primary school should set former students out into the real world with the basic life skills to be productive members of society. Innovations can emerge from a variety of programs, but nothing will lead to improvement like having a diversely thinking collection of educators.

Many black students grow up in single-parent homes or with two parents working full time, incapable of homeschooling. The public school system is in no way fitted to diversify the learning path of students when their class sizes range between 24-33 students. Overcrowded classrooms leave countless blindspots for teachers: class clowns, the quiet students afraid to speak up, and students allowed to slide by on the bare minimum due to the teacher having to prioritize the government curriculum.

It is also of no benefit to the student to have to be subjected to the woes of an underperforming school that is siphoning its funding from the parents of the district, whether that person’s children attend the school or not. If a child needs a program specifically crafted for them, their parents should have the option to be involved in the process of creating that curriculum. The directing of resources to families is a major component of a cohesive schooling process, as parents are the primary advocate of their children. Every parent should be afforded the opportunity to make the choices that work for them, opposed to being forced to subsidize failing schools to the detriment of their kids.

No two children are exactly the same. Even with siblings that grow up in the same home, we see that their perceptions and experiences are vastly different, the same can be said about students in school. There will always be personal challenges for students and their families that need to be taken into account when judging what kind of setting will be the best for a student to flourish in. Some students will work best in the online or homeschooled environment, while others may benefit from a larger mainstream framework. At the same time, there are children who will be better impacted by a tailored curriculum precisely for their needs.

The important factor to keep in mind is the option parents elect to make in weighing their individual needs when making a decision on what will most favorably influence their child’s educational goals.

Aaron Alexander is a grassroots organizer and Regional Director at the BLEXIT Foundation who works with minority communities and youth to develop professional skills and to educate them on American history, entrepreneurship as a key to avoid government dependency, and alternative educational opportunities to public schooling.

Aaron serves as Education First Alliance's Program Director. He knows that the public school system has been failing the students of North Carolina for far too long. As a product of Durham Public Schools, he can attest to the failing practices and indoctrination that takes place in the classroom. This realization is what drives him to hold our teachers and board members accountable while bringing the students of North Carolina the education they need.

Aaron was a double major in psychology and philosophy at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.