Ever since it was discovered that progressives were pushing far-leftist ideology in K-12 schools, it has been clear that these folks were woefully out of touch with what everyday Americans believe. Nevertheless, the progressives persist in pushing their ideas on our children regardless of what we the people think.
The findings of two new surveys were published revealing that the majority of parents are not on board with the indoctrination progressives are foisting on schoolchildren.
Parents Defending Education (PDE) has released the results of a new poll regarding schools’ obligations to inform parents about their children’s gender identity. The poll, which was conducted by CRC Research and sampled 1,600 registered voters between March 15-20, found that 71 percent of voters support legislation requiring schools to inform parents if their child wants to change their gender identity at school, while 75 percent support legislation requiring parental consent before helping a student transition.
The findings shed light on the ongoing debate among policymakers about whether schools should include or exclude families from learning critical details about their children’s lives. According to the poll’s crosstabs, 74 percent of registered voters believe schools should not help students change their gender identity without parental consent, and 71 percent oppose letting schools withhold information about a child’s gender identity from their parents.
The poll also found that opposition to these policies is particularly high among certain demographic groups, including Black voters (76 percent), Republican voters (85 percent), and voters with an income under $40K (73 percent).
The poll also revealed that 75 percent of registered voters believe schools should require teachers or staff to inform parents if their child wants to use a different name or pronouns at school, and 68 percent disagree with the statement “parents are not entitled to know their kids’ identities. That knowledge must be earned.”
When asked about the statement “children who identify as transgender won’t be accepted or loved by their parents,” 54 percent of registered voters disagreed, while 34 percent agreed. However, the poll found that 78 percent of registered voters agree with the statement “A child changing his or her gender identity has major long-term medical and psychological ramifications. Parents should know, and have an opportunity to be involved in, such an important aspect of their child’s well-being.”
Another poll conducted by Grinnell College showed that Americans are in favor of citizens, politicians, and athletes speaking out about politics, but not public school teachers within the classroom. Selzer & Company conducted the poll from March 14 to 19, 2023, and the results were released on March 22, 2023.
The poll asked respondents whether they believed it was appropriate or inappropriate for members of specific groups to express their political opinions. With the exception of public school teachers, the majority of Americans supported all groups expressing their political views within their respective settings. 57 percent of respondents stated that it was inappropriate for public school teachers to discuss politics in their classrooms. Among parents with children in public schools, 41 percent thought it was appropriate, while 58 percent thought it was not.
That same poll revealed that a significant proportion of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (68 percent), suburban women (65 percent), those with incomes of $100K or above (63 percent), and Catholics (64 percent) are against teachers discussing politics in the classroom.
In recent times, debates over what books and materials are suitable for public school libraries and who should make those decisions have been intensifying across the United States. While majorities believe that school librarians (57 percent), students (55 percent), and families of students (53 percent) should have a significant say in library material decisions, the poll highlights that the majority of Americans do not want state officials to play a major role in these decisions.
“Views of what is happening in public schools is the one place where suburban women align with Republicans,” said J. Ann Selzer, president of polling firm Selzer & Company. “The reason we hear so many messages about what is happening in public schools may be the Republican wish to re-take the suburbs in key swing states (for example, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania). That shift from voting for Donald Trump in 2016 to Joe Biden in 2020 hinged on a shift among suburban voters, in particular suburban women.”
“We find that Americans want decisions about materials in school libraries to be made locally by school librarians, families, school boards, and students themselves,” said Peter Hanson, director of the Grinnell College National Poll and associate professor of political science. “There is very little appetite among our respondents for state officials playing a big part in decisions about school libraries.”
The poll also asked respondents questions to understand what they think about the content that should or should not be included in public middle school libraries revealing that a majority of respondents endorsed all six topics that were polled. However, the smallest majorities were seen for materials concerning sexual orientation (56 percent) and gender identity (57 percent). In contrast, the largest majorities were recorded for the Bible (84 percent) and racism in American society (76 percent).
As several states contemplate legislation that would require schools to notify parents when a student adopts a gender identity different from the one assigned at birth, the poll sheds light on public opinion. According to the poll’s findings, 43 percent of respondents believe it is “very important” for schools to inform parents about any observed change in a student’s gender identity.
Meanwhile, 23 percent say it is “somewhat important,” and 31 percent say it is “not important.” The survey further reveals a significant gap in opinion by party affiliation. While 71 percent of Republicans consider it “very important” for schools to inform parents, only 37 percent of independents and 25 percent of Democrats share this view.
These are only the latest in a series of polls showing that most Americans do not buy into the ideas progressives are selling. Much of what the far left is preaching boils down to the idea that children belong to the state and not to their parents. This is why they believe it is acceptable to “transition” minors to the opposite sex without their parents’ knowledge or consent. It is why they have no problem influencing young minds who will grow into adults who embrace far-leftist ideology.
The fact that most people do not agree with the left when it comes to education is an encouraging sign. But belief isn’t enough to stop these people from advancing their Marxist agenda. Only when that belief turns into action will things change for the better.
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