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Editors’ Note: Progressives have dominated school boards because the elections often attract little attention and thus can be swayed by the subterranean coordinated activity of teacher’s unions and their allies. Nonpartisan labeling allows candidates the ability to hide their radicalism and penetrate educational institutions. If one ran as a Democrat today, the public has come to understand it comes with a suite of social and political positions that are unpopular and destructive. We agree with the author. Party labels do not precisely describe a person, to be sure, but they convey ideas and principles that inform the public. A Democrat today is for wars that can’t be won, transgenderism, Critical Race Theory, DEI, extreme environmentalism, colonial settlerism, and an overt hostility to the foundations of Western Civilization and the nuclear family. Without knowing party affiliation, innocent voters can, and have been, easily misled.

Republicans have introduced a measure in the AZ House that, beginning next year, all ballots for school board will include a candidate’s party designation. SB1441, sponsored by Carine Werner, District 4, will ensure that voters know the political ideology of the candidates they are voting for. As one would expect, the vote in the Senate was strictly based on party lines, with Republicans voting in favor and Democrats in opposition. In fact, every single Democrat (save two abstentions) voted against this bill. In and of itself, this is very telling– the Democrats have always known that voter ignorance benefits them, and they are not eager to telegraph to voters what they actually stand for. Regardless of the issue, transparency is always the best policy and one that the Democrats always seem to oppose.

The argument for ‘non-partisan’ school board elections may have had some basis, in fact, years ago. No one can deny that schools have moved beyond teaching children reading, writing, math, history, and science. Since the introduction of sex education under the guise of health, the curriculum of public schools has expanded to include a variety of social issues, inevitably leading to politicization and indoctrination according to a politically oriented worldview, one that, at times, is in direct conflict with the moral viewpoint of many parents.

The reality is that our schools reflect our polarized society. Progressive ideology found fertile ground among academics, and for too many generations, parents and taxpayers failed to speak against the Marxist views that took deep root in school curricula. To illustrate, many children are not taught about the rich contributions that Western civilizations have made to law, science, and culture. American students are often inundated with negative views on the founding of our own nation, and a heavy emphasis on the stain of slavery and colonization completely overshadows the exceptionalism of the American experiment. Patriotism and love of country in schools are a dim memory.

Thanks to the last three Democratic administrations, the school environment has become toxic. The introduction and promotion of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Critical Race Theory (CRT), and gender identity nonsense have led to a generation of children who embrace victimhood, subjugate reality to personal delusions, and refuse to talk and reason with one another. It has come to the point where schools in states like California are initiating the removal of children from their homes because the parents refuse to affirm a gender identity that does not align with biological reality.  

To make the case that schools are “not partisan” is delusional.

Elected officials who represent the public on school boards come to that role with an ideology as well. No one is without bias. People join political parties because they align themselves with the party’s value system.

So, let’s look at what the Democrat party has stated in its own 2024 Party Platform:

“Democrats will provide free, universal preschool for four-year-olds, saving the families of 5 million children $13,000 a year.” 

Rather than ensuring that families have more money to have young children in the most formative years cared for and nurtured by a parent, the Dems advocate for the creation of yet another massive entitlement that will take more money away from working families by way of taxes.

“…helping schools to lift student achievement, rather than punishing them based on state standardized tests.” 

Removing objective standards of evaluation is the best way to hide failure. Standardization by definition establishes a benchmark so that weaknesses in curriculum can be identified and changed.

“Democrats will continue to fight for LGBTQI+ youth by building on President Biden’s historic actions to ban so-called “conversion therapy”; protecting LGBTQI+ children from bullying and discrimination; guaranteeing that transgender students are treated fairly and with respect at school; and ending the homeless crisis among LGBTQI+ youth.”

No American wants unfair treatment applied to any other class of persons. However, how these policies have been implemented is to trample on the rights of others to privacy in locker rooms, bathrooms, and sports teams. Feelings do not change biological facts; this entire battle does not belong in schools. Parents should always be the primary counselors of their own children. Allowing schools to hide ‘transitions’ from parents is an utter violation of parental rights. Here in Arizona, several schools in Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Tempe, and Tucson have school policies that direct school administration to conceal from parents a student’s gender transition.

“We oppose the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education.”

To remove all competition is to create a monopoly. Monopolies very rarely strive to improve customer service or satisfaction because they have no incentive to do so. Competition breeds excellence, and the Democrats fight against this constantly. 

The aforementioned items are but a few of the many viewpoints that the Democrat party espouses. Abortion rights, equity and inclusion are threaded throughout many areas and provide the fuel for the DEI and CRT programs that have led to further divisions among Americans.

The Senate approved SB1441 and awaits a full house vote. We need to urge our House reps to support this change, and we need enough votes to override the veto that is sure to come from the Governor.

Hobbs maintains that the bill will” further the politicization and polarization of school districts.” Races are already partisan thanks to the radical policies of the left. We just need the voters to know that upfront.

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