Kamala Harris addressed a key Democratic ally last week in Houston, where she spoke at the annual meeting of the American Federation of Teachers' (AFT), the second largest teachers union in America behind the National Education Association.
Speaking as the presumptive Democratic nominee for the first time, Harris called the AFT "an incredible friend to the president and me" before launching into attacks on Republican efforts to ensure school libraries offer age-appropriate material to children.
"We want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books," Harris declared.
Meg Kilgannon, a senior fellow for education studies at the Family Research Council, does not think Harris is fooling anyone.
"This charge about banning books rings so hollow. Parents can see right through that," she told Washington Watch Friday. "We are not about banning books; we are about having children protected from inappropriate material in their school libraries."
"We simply do not allow certain material to be presented to children when they are incapable of understanding it or it is inappropriate educationally," she clarified.
And as she told show host Jody Hice, any book that may be removed from a school library remains available for parents to purchase at bookstores or online.
The book banning charge "is such a weak point for them, I'm surprised she brought it up," Kilgannon continued. "I guess it must work for their base."
The AFT annual meeting brought together approximately 3,500 members and leaders from across the country. In her address to them – which Kilgannon describes as inflammatory – the vice president also highlighted the importance of educators, healthcare, and unions.
She talked about her own upbringing in the public school system and noted the role teachers played in shaping her life. She also rejected a so-called "back to the past" approach to education.
On that note, Kilgannon hopes parents understand that today's public education is not the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago.
"Even in red states, even in Christian areas where most people that live around you go to church, there is still a culture in schools that is often to the left of center at best," the education policy expert asserts.
As kids are being taught to hate their country, their parents, and themselves, she has published a guide to help concerned citizens engage. She says parents' vigilance in monitoring their kids' assignments, getting to know their teachers, and being involved at school "are more important now than they've ever been."
That includes monitoring kids' online activity as well.
"You may think you know, but there are all kinds of ways to get around your firewalls," Kilgannon says
Further and unfortunately, she advises parents to "err on the side of assuming" their children's innocence has been compromised; they need to be in conversation with their kids.
Meanwhile, they need to be modeling a good marriage and a good family life so that children understand that what they may see online or what they are presented in school as alternative lifestyle options are not what God has in mind for them.
"God's truth is represented in a biblical marriage," Kilgannon states. "Whatever they might hear about at school, what other possibilities there are for their sexuality – that is not what God has in mind for us."
No relief if Harris is elected
Joe Biden has spent his time in office prioritizing "transgendered" males over female students and athletes, and many school districts are working overtime to keep parents in the dark about what is going on with their own children.
But as unkind as his presidency has been to parental rights, Kilgannon is sure that a Harris administration would be no better. She believes the vice president would further Biden's education policies and add to them.
For example, Americans could expect more so-called student loan forgiveness, more identity politics in core subjects like math and science, and more gender confusion indoctrination in the classrooms.
"I would imagine she'd be worse," Kilgannon warns of Harris. "She absolutely is a progressive's progressive. She will be doing all the things the Biden administration has been doing and then some."
