“I attended a very disturbing Fairfax County School Board meeting last night”

Thanks to Holly Hazard for this report from last night’s Fairfax County School Board meeting. Very troubling…

I attended a very disturbing Fairfax County School Board meeting last night. The anti LGBTQ and anti CRT folks were out in force. They had a large “recall” table and were rallying and shouting at the traffic going by. Inside, they defiantly refused to wear masks. When asked, they roared, “you’re not my boss.” They ignored the security officers trying to encourage them to put on masks.

They yelled and ranted at the school board, calling them Communists, terrorist sympathizers, really ranting nonsense—but hurtful.

We must find a way to allow the expression of ideas but not abuse. It’s debilitating just to watch, much less be the subject of it. They again blew up about library books.

I don’t understand how they can self-righteously and smugly demand that parents, not educators should decide what is taught in schools. What does that even mean? “Parents” are not a monolithic entity. Parents have wildly different views on the important issues of our time. Educators are trained to sort through this (and listen to different points of view) and determine what curriculum will lead to healthy, successful citizen and adults.

Frankly, some parents, many parents, are not qualified to do this. We need to stop being defensive about leaving education to educators. We get input. They make decisions. That’s how government works. If you don’t like the decisions, you don’t rant and scream and disrupt. You engage and then, if you can, vote them out.

What a sick experience for kids to witness. And also, who is going to run for office if you are subjected to this abuse, day in and day out.

Not a healthy democratic system. This appears to be part of a national strategy of the far right to disrupt school boards, which are largely ignored by the general public, and then begin moving up the political chain.

Please get engaged NOW.