Premium

Massive School Board Recall Efforts Are Underway -- That’s a Good Thing

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

There is a movement sweeping the nation in which parents and voters are confronting their school boards in opposition to mask mandates and Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom. This movement is more than just parents speaking out. These individuals have mobilized to remove members of school boards over these issues.

ABC 12 reported that Freedomworks is training parents to run for and win seats on their local school boards. Laura Zorc, director of education reform, argued that “If [members of the school board] are not listening and they are not respecting you, then it’s time for parents to run the school board.”

The course teaches parents the ins and outs of being a member of a school board. Zorc explained:

It’s a six-week training, all the way from roles and responsibilities of a school board member, what is the job of a superintendent and how to win a campaign.

The report notes:

This academy sprang up as school board recall efforts across the country are heating up. In the first six months of the year, there were 50 local recall efforts of K-12 school boards, targeting more than 130 elected leaders. One of the most contentious recall efforts is in Loudoun County, Virginia.

In Loudoun County, parents are seeking to replace six of the board’s members. A parent indicated that normally, only about two or three seats might be up for contention. However, parents in these communities are energized and ready to remove those who are promoting unpopular ideas and policies.

This is a welcome trend for conservatives and others who oppose what the left is attempting to do in America’s schools. It is this type of action that those on the right have been wanting to see for years. All too often, conservatives tend to spend more time complaining about the left’s machinations than taking action to put a stop to them. These parents are taking a stand in a way that will actually have an impact.

But will it stop here?

CRT and mask mandates in the classroom are serious issues and certainly worth galvanizing a response. But what about other areas in which the left is trying to spread its version of Marxist thought and policy? What about issues related to crime? Local economies?

Wherever problems exist, there will always be progressives proposing solutions that will only make them worse. If conservatives are going to make a difference and become more dominant in the government and culture, the takeover of school boards should only be the beginning. City councils and mayorships must be next.

Taking over local governments will provide a level of shielding from the state and federal governments. Moreover, changing hearts and minds at the local level will lead to more victories in the state and federal government. The phrase “all politics is local” is a common refrain one can hear on the right. But now, there are signs that conservatives will begin putting this into practice on a grander scale.

It is also important to note that the Democrats have been focusing on local and state-level politics as well. While we are distracted by the national outrages and debates, the left is making inroads in areas where they are typically not supported. There is a reason why Georgia went to Democrats in 2020 – and it’s not nearly as simplistic as just blaming it on voter fraud.

The outcomes of the races in that state were the culmination of a nearly ten-year effort on the part of Stacey Abrams and her allies. But the Democrats are also targeting other southern red states like Texas and they have been doing so for years. There is a reason why I almost had to call Beto O’Rourke my Senator after the 2018 midterm elections.

Republicans must be smart about the way they fight. Perhaps the parents who are challenging school board members have the right idea. Along with protesting and exposing the agenda the progressive left is trying to push, even rank-and-file conservatives need to pursue political power. Maybe more of us need to run for office. The battle will go to the people who are the most engaged and empowered. Hopefully, this trend does not fizzle out.

Recommended

Trending on RedState Videos