This post originally appeared at https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/moms-for-liberty-scarlett-johnson/

The message that parents don’t have primacy over their children’s education has been prevalent in the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for years. Many Wisconsinites knew this to be accurate, but until the “Great Parent Awakening” in late 2020, they underestimated the ferocity of anti-parent, anti-American attitudes and ideologies that pervade the ever-expanding DPI. Perhaps the more startling realization for desperate parents was that many local school boards were nothing more than an extension of Fauci’s authoritarian CDC, Randi Wiegarten’s union interests, Democratic political posturing, and Wisconsin DPI’s bureaucratic morass. Members believed themselves unaccountable to parents and students, offering them no desirable solutions during the tumultuous pandemic.

Please review the list of endorsed candidates here and VOTE on April 4.

In grief and frustration, parents everywhere united for a noble cause and got involved in local government. With tragedy came triumph; as it turns out, playing politics with children during the pandemic was a bridge too far. And while nearly three years of community engagement and activism on behalf of kids have produced many positive results, this engagement has only emboldened the resolve of entrenched bureaucrats to prioritize personal politics over academic excellence. Too often, neutered school boards do nothing to rein in superintendents and administrators who produce destabilizing policies that are not evidence-based; their only purpose is to align curricula and practice with ideological dogma. This is a dangerous trend, and we must correct course before it’s too late.

Parents understand that restoring safe, healthy, rigorous, and agenda-free education is vital for the future of our democratic republic. We have the fundamental right to direct our children’s upbringing, including their education, medical care, morality, and religion. These inherent, natural rights do not stop at the classroom door. We must elect school board members who affirm the role of parents in their child’s education so that Wisconsin families can exercise their rights to the fullest extent possible.

Platitudes will no longer satiate a parent’s need for respect and inclusion. This is a good thing. I am surprised that a partnership with parents is still considered controversial to some, particularly as school districts strive to overcome the post-pandemic learning deficits that plague most Wisconsin school districts. Success requires significant parental involvement and cooperation. Good Leaders who recognize the need for balance and collaboration will both help Wisconsin students raise their proficiency scores and increase the morale of teachers and staff.

I am optimistic for the future, but continued success will require needed change. Too many leaders hold disproportionate control over K-12 education in this state-govern with the uncharitable view that public school parents do not have a say in their child’s education. In fact, Representative Lee Snodgrass(D) took the opportunity to tweet this sentiment immediately following my testimony (in support of a Parental Bill of Rights) before the Wisconsin state legislature:

Rep. Lee Snodgrass is as wrong now as she was then. PARENTS ALWAYS HAVE A SAY IN THEIR CHILD’S EDUCATION.

A select few with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo with little to no influence of parents, grandparents and concerned community members will no longer hold power over our public schools. Parents are awake now that we have seen behind the curtain. We understand school district policies. We understand the structures, who holds authority, and the limits of that authority within the education system. I think that’s vital, and it’s been lacking for a long time.

Today parents are sending a clear message: we do not co-parent with our school districts. We want to be partners with teachers and school administrators. Obfuscation is no longer an option. Parents sincerely care about their children’s education and experiences while in school. Your vote on April 4th will not only help Wisconsin parents remove power from the public school establishment, but it will also empower parents with a seat at the table as communities work to improve academic outcomes for school-age children. This is our opportunity to affirm the authority that should naturally exist between parent, child, and school.

In the end, We all know that when it comes to raising children, parents and families are better than the government. This is just plain common sense. In 2020, Parents were right to request schools reopen and provide in-person education; parents understood that the future academic success AND psychological health of children required a return to normalcy. Unfortunately, many elites and bureaucrats spent more time vilifying parents than analyzing observable data, and our kids are still paying the price. Let’s not make the same mistake twice.

Yet again, parents and dedicated parental rights activists are issuing a warning: the ideologues are at it again, and administrators and consultants are prioritizing self-interest and trendy education elixirs over students. Unsurprisingly, the same folks who kept schools closed and kids isolated are doubling down on bad policy and questionable curricula. Wisconsin school boards require members who will recognize harmful curricula and stop the ideological madness that is standing in the way of actually educating kids. Please help us to restore common sense to Wisconsin’s classrooms. Together, we can return schools to their primary purpose: educating students so they can achieve success and develop a love of learning that will last a lifetime.

Moms for Liberty is one of the few national organizations qualified and equipped to work and serve their communities in a myriad of ways, including providing voters with the information they need to make the most informed decision on who will best represent their family’s interests on a local school board. Moms for Liberty chapters in Wisconsin are autonomous local groups comprised of grassroots volunteers who work closely with concerned citizens in their community. Parents face constant obstacles and resistance from politicians, woke bureaucrats, and the consultant class working hard to protect their turf, they needed someone to have their back, and now they do.