When I was a kid, whenever I would act up the common threat was that I would be packed up and shipped off to military school within the week. To be fair, my parents were left-wing pacifists and I suppose in their minds that would have been the direst of consequences. But I remember thinking at the time that it wasn’t such a bad idea. It would have been superior in many respects to what I was learning, and the photos always showed these majestic campuses in some bucolic setting. Maybe New England. Plus, girls dig a man in uniform. Or so I’m told. Homeschooling wasn’t a big thing back then, and the stereotypes surrounding it were already cemented in place. And my parents were “intentional” about their beliefs. That meant dragging me to cultural events that I didn’t understand and making me eat health food that I despised.
And people are still being “intentional” about educating indoctrinating children, even when parents and communities are opposed to the indoctrination being provided. Not everyone, parents and students alike, are thrilled with the gender agenda replacing basic, age-appropriate education. And a group of teachers in the Midwest were undoubtedly well aware of the students who have walked out of class in protest of the LGBTQ curriculum, the reaction of Muslim parents over said agenda and the protest outside of Dodger Stadium. And whether they will admit it or not, they have been rattled by the parents across the nation who have found their voices and told school boards where to get off.
So these Midwestern teachers got together online to swap tips, tricks, and ideas on how to subvert students without their parents ever finding out. But somebody tipped off the Daily Mail, which in many respects puts 99% of U.S. newspapers to shame. The Mail was able to access an online meeting hosted by the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center, also known as MAP. MAP, by the way, receives funding from the Department of Education. Not that the news should surprise anyone. Thirty teachers logged in to the “workshop.” Topics included skirting new laws to help students with changing their names and pronouns, bathrooms, sports teams, and parental rights. Some teachers said that they were adhering to the laws and rules, while others bragged about being subversive when it comes to students’ gender issues. Kimberly Martin, who is the DEI coordinator for Royal Oak Schools in Michigan, commented, “We’re working with our record-keeping system so that certain screens can’t be seen by the parents … if there’s a nickname in there we’re trying to hide.” Shea Martin, a “trans educator” and leftist blogger in Ohio, stated in part, “The stakes are very high for trans youth. I think that requires working subversively and quietly sometimes to make sure that trans kids have what they need.” She also talked about addressing sexuality with children 5 to 10 years old, admonishing attendees to be careful about reinforcing heterosexuality as “the norm.” Talking with parents about their children was never discussed, and the idea that automatically affirming gender identity might not be in the child’s best interests did not come up.
And yes, everyone had their pronouns displayed in the chat.
MAP covers Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. So it may be operating in a school district near you. Even yours. And they would prefer you keep your nose out of your child’s business. And if possible, they don’t even want you to know.
When I was in school, I was the standard-issue nerd until about my sophomore year. Then, because Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet were popular, I started dressing in the style of what was known as the “New Romantics.” That meant wearing suits and the skinny ties that dominated much of the ’80s. By my junior year, I was a preppy. There were kids who dressed like Cyndi Lauper, and those who were into the whole metal thing. Some wore athletic apparel. On the rare occasion that I have seen someone from my high school days, no one is dressing, thinking, or acting like they did in high school.
Kids will always follow trends to fit in and be at least liked if not popular. That applies to their dress, their music, and their companions. It probably goes back millions of years to when the first prehistoric kid came home wearing a lion skin instead of a bear skin and his dad said, “You’re not wearing that thing in my cave.” Or, “You’re not going out hunting mammoths dressed like that!”
The difference is that until now, allegedly trusted authority figures did not push kids to follow a trend. Or to have surgeries or take drugs that will drastically alter their lives, in some cases forever. Or teach them to indulge in sexual behavior long before they are ready. In short, there was a time when teachers cared more about their students than they did about themselves. Many still do, but far too many do not.
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