Tiffany Justice of Moms for Liberty says it is "appropriate" for parents to ask questions about how public education is going to put children first.
"Parents should never be vilified for asking questions about their child's education, but unfortunately across America, that sometimes has happened," she tells AFN. "Parents need to redraw the boundary between school and home, but I also think they need to set the expectations for what they want for their child to be getting out of their education at school."
Justice commends parents in Alexandria, Virginia for exemplifying that moms and dads who step up can make a difference. When it was discovered that Principal Ann Bonitatibus for years had intentionally waited to distribute certificates to National Merit commended students and semi-finalists because of her "equal outcomes for every student, without exception" policy, parents got Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) involved.
"Do what the parents at Thomas Jefferson High School and the other Virginia high schools are doing, which is standing up and speaking out and getting the attention of our legislators to be able to correct course," Justice urges. "American public education, certainly in Virginia, has gotten off course."
In Florida last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration blocked a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies from being taught in high schools, saying it violates state law and is historically inaccurate.
DeSantis has opposed liberal ideologies in schools, including lessons around critical race theory (CRT). In Virginia, amid concerns that CRT and other woke curriculum was being taught in schools, education policy is believed to have played a role in Gov. Youngkin's election in 2021.
