Few things are more important than the education of our young people. 
That’s why, when the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released the <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/">Nation’s Report Card</a> earlier this week, I became concerned. Average scores among 8th and 12th grade students were lower across all three primary assessments — science, math, and reading. For example, only 22% of 12th graders were proficient at their level of mathematics and 35% were proficient at their level of reading.
Scores like these should remind all of us just how important a high-quality education is for every student. While these scores are discouraging, I believe when parents and students are given a choice in education and the right leadership is in place, we will see test scores like these go up, not down. 
Most students spend more awake time in school than at home during the week and thousands of families are counting on their state officials to deliver for their children. That’s why I’m running for governor of South Carolina, to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education – whether that’s their local traditional public school, a high-performing public charter school, or a high-quality private school. I am confident that there are thousands of outstanding teachers across South Carolina, but there are also gaps in excellence in far too many places.
I’ve spent my career in business and understand that competition makes everyone better. When traditional public schools are competing against private and public charter schools, it drives innovation, efficiency, and a desire for excellence. This free-market principle is what creates great organizations that serve people well, and it’s the same principle that will improve education for South Carolina students.
Status quo politicians and special interests have tried to pit education freedom against great public schools. I fundamentally reject this flawed argument. I attended public school and many of my grandchildren currently attend public school – and I strongly support education freedom. South Carolina parents deserve the opportunity to choose what’s best for their child.
Fortunately, South Carolina has made significant strides in improving student-centered education over the past few years, but we have room to grow. As governor, my mission will be to improve public education, increase education freedom, and ensure high school graduates are ready for a job or college.
We know what moves the needle in public education – great teachers in classrooms and great principals leading schools. The research is overwhelming: the quality of teachers and principals are two of the top in-school factors for student success. I firmly believe that leaders should make data-informed decisions, and that’s why, based on this research, we should be rewarding our top-performing teachers and principals across the state.
I want South Carolina to become the top destination in the country for the best and brightest teachers and principals. We should create a merit pay structure statewide that offers bonuses to educators who are top performers – and we should offer an extra incentive to educators who are willing to bring their high-quality instruction to low performing schools. Infusing the principles of the free market into public education will improve outcomes for students.
Concurrent with statewide merit pay, South Carolina must expand education freedom for all families in the state. Education freedom is about ensuring parents are empowered to exercise their God-given right to choose what’s best for their children. As governor, I will work every day to expand education freedom until every family has the opportunity to choose the best education for their child.
Finally, as governor, I am committed to dramatically expanding career and technical education in South Carolina. For too long, schools and businesses have been ships passing in the night. Schools enroll students in career and technical education without actually talking to businesses about what skills are needed in the workforce. I’ve spent most of my life in the private sector and I know what it takes to bring business leaders into the conversation and ensure our students are being prepared with the skills needed for family-sustaining jobs. When schools and businesses are working together for student success, the entire state wins.
Few things are more important than education. As governor, I will focus every day on leading with students at the center of the conversation. Education funding is a core function of government and it should be treated as a treasure to invest in our next generation’s education.
* * *
Ralph Norman was born and raised in South Carolina. After a successful career as a small business owner in real estate development, he entered into public service, first as a South Carolina State Representative, then as a U.S. Congressman in 2017. He’s now running to be the next Governor of South Carolina. 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Open Book On Wooden Desk With Blurred Empty Classroom Background.

When Test Scores Drop, It’s Time For Real Education Reform

Charter Schools

Education

Opinion

Parental Rights in Education

Public Schools

School Choice

South Carolina

Students

Teachers

An assistant high school football coach who is also a school resource officer (SRO) in Clarksville, Tennessee, was removed from the coaching staff over complaints that he was proselytizing to players.
Trey Campbell, a volunteer assistant coach for Northwest High School, was escorted out of last week&#8217;s game at halftime by the school&#8217;s principal after he was holding a Bible and leading players in prayer, according to local news outlet, <a href="https://clarksvillenow.com/local/northwest-sro-put-on-leave-during-review-of-proselytizing-complaint-while-coaching-football/">Clarksville Now</a>. Campbell, a deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriff&#8217;s Office, was also placed on paid leave from his job as an SRO at the school.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS) said that it had received complaints about Campbell doing more than just leading players in prayer and was attempting to convert players to his faith while in his official capacity as a school employee. The school district said it is currently investigating the incident, WKRN <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/clarksville/northwest-high-school-assistant-football-coach-removed-form-team-after-prayer-sparking-debate-over-faith-in-schools/">reported</a>.
&#8220;It’s my understanding that the concern was not with private prayer, but that the principal received a concern that an employee was proselytizing in their official capacity,&#8221; a CMCSS official added in a statement. &#8220;We will investigate, and I can share more when that investigation has concluded. We are not able to conduct interviews or comment further until after the investigation has concluded.”
According to the school district, &#8220;multiple witnesses observed and video footage corroborated Campbell spending significant time throughout the game on the sidelines with players and other students, quoting scripture, holding a Bible up to spectators, and leading prayers.&#8221;
The school district alleged that Campbell &#8220;became visibly emotional and confrontational&#8221; when he was asked to keep his prayers private. The district added, &#8220;However, multiple witnesses stated that when asked to stop causing a disruption and to put his Bible away, Campbell stated loudly that &#8216;I can’t do it, won’t do it,&#8217; and &#8216;my job is to save these babies.'&#8221;
CMCSS said that witnesses found Campbell&#8217;s behavior last Friday &#8220;uncharacteristic,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Campbell has otherwise been an outstanding SRO, coach, and valued member of the Northwest High School community. He has built positive relationships with students, families, and staff, and has contributed to the safety and well-being of the school.&#8221;
Montgomery County Sheriff John Fuson told Clarksville Now that the department &#8220;firmly stands behind any citizen who chooses to lawfully exercise their constitutional rights. This includes our employees.&#8221; Fuson added, “As a man of faith, I was equally concerned about the initial information regarding this and how it appeared to have been handled.&#8221;
The sheriff, however, acknowledged that &#8220;there are always two sides to consider,&#8221; referring to the school district&#8217;s review of the incident involving Campbell. The deputy was placed on leave for &#8220;a couple of paid days off to process all of this,&#8221; according to the sheriff. Fuson added that Campbell&#8217;s position as an SRO at Northwest High School has not changed. When asked to provide further details about the incident and where the sheriff stands on the issue, the Montgomery County Sheriff&#8217;s Office told The Daily Wire that it did not have any further comment at this time.
The issue over Campbell&#8217;s religious practices at the football game comes as President Donald Trump moves to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-promises-fresh-push-to-defend-prayer-in-public-schools">protect prayer</a> in public schools. Trump said on Monday that he has directed the Department of Education to &#8220;issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools.&#8221;
&#8220;America has always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/">said</a>. &#8220;Together we will make our Country greater, stronger, more united, and more faithful than ever before!&#8221;
The controversy in Tennessee shares some similarities to a major Supreme Court case that was decided in 2022, when high school football coach Joseph Kennedy was pressured by a public school system in Bremerton, Washington, to stop his practice of praying on the field after each game; a practice that many of his players joined. Kennedy&#8217;s contract was not renewed after the controversy over his post-game prayer, and the coach sued the school board. The case made it all the way up to the Supreme Court, which ruled 6-3 in Kennedy&#8217;s favor.
In a phone call with The Daily Wire, Marc Wheat, General Counsel for former Vice President Mike Pence&#8217;s organization, Advancing American Freedom, brought up the Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case. Wheat, however, said that the issue in Tennessee appears to differ from the famous 2022 decision based on what&#8217;s been reported so far.
&#8220;My understanding is that Campbell&#8217;s prayer time was during a game where the football players are there to be coached on strategy, tactics, getting them pumped up to go back on the field,&#8221; Wheat said. &#8220;So that&#8217;s pretty different from the Coach Kennedy case.&#8221;
Wheat added that an important question that must be answered is whether the players were required to be present and listening to their coaches when Campbell was exercising his faith. He said that the arguments for and against Campbell practicing his faith at the game could change as more information comes out about the incident. Another aspect that Wheat pointed out that could add to a legal dilemma is that Campbell was acting as a volunteer football coach, while his employment was with the sheriff&#8217;s department.
Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, director of the Conscience Project — a religious liberty advocacy group — told The Daily Wire that &#8220;often what&#8217;s reported isn&#8217;t what&#8217;s really going on&#8221; when it comes to religious liberty cases.
&#8220;Sometimes something becomes very sensational and school administrators often act, throwing the net wider than they should and disciplining people for exercising legitimate rights out of fear and ignorance,&#8221; she said.
&#8220;Obviously, there are elements to what&#8217;s been reported that look like religious activity was possibly going on during the game, during what would normally be the coaching of young people. And I think that&#8217;s where the record has to be developed more,&#8221; Picciotti-Bayer continued, adding, &#8220;There isn&#8217;t a problem unless there&#8217;s a level of coercion.&#8221;
Picciotti-Bayer said that new guidance from Trump&#8217;s Education Department could be vital for further protecting religious liberty. She said that she expects the guidance to allow school employees &#8220;to actually live your faith, say your prayer at lunch time. Maybe not over an intercom, but to let that be a part of your life. You don&#8217;t have to leave your faith at the parking lot of the school or the parking lot of the football stadium.&#8221;
This story has been updated to include additional comment from the school district.

Football Field, Bible

High School Football Coach Loses Gig, Placed On Leave After Carrying Bible, Praying With Players

School Resource Officer Loses Coaching Gig, Placed On Leave After Carrying Bible, Praying With Playe

Christianity

High school sports

Religious Freedom

Religious Liberty

Tennessee

Florida’s surgeon general, alongside GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced on Wednesday that the Sunshine State will end all vaccination mandates, including requirements for schools.
“The Florida Department of Health, in partnership with the government, is working to end all vaccine mandates in Florida law — all of them,” Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo told a room of supporters. “Every last one of them.”
Ladapo went on to say that the government has no right to tell parents what to put in their children’s bodies, or their own bodies, sparking loud applause.
“Every last [mandate] is wrong and drips with disdain — and slavery,” he argued. “Who am I, or anyone else … to tell you what you should put in your body? Who am I to tell you what your child should put in [their] body?”
“I don’t have that right,” he continued. “Your body is a gift from God. What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and your God. I don’t have that right. Government does not have that right.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 MAJOR BREAKING: The Surgeon General of Florida just announced ALL VACCINE MANDATES IN FLORIDA will be ENDED, and the room erupted.
All. Not just COVID. ALL.
JOSEPH LADAPO: &#8220;Every last one is wrong and DRIPS with disdain and slavery! Who am I, or anyone else, to tell YOU what… <a href="https://t.co/Kah5LscGTo">pic.twitter.com/Kah5LscGTo</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1963254999204442607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
Ending vaccine requirements for schoolchildren would be a seismic change — every state in the nation currently has school vaccine requirements. Additionally, liberal states have increasingly nixed religious exemptions for families looking to opt their children out of some requirements.
An attorney from New York, who recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teen-takes-on-new-york-over-vax-mandate-and-wins">won a major vaccine case</a> in the state, told The Daily Wire that since the state did away with religious exemptions, it has also largely eliminated medical exemptions, despite the government’s claims to still accept them.
“The problem really is these New York State Department of Health regulations that were issued in 2019, that led to hundreds of children who had longstanding medical exemptions suddenly getting them revoked,” attorney Sujata Gibson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teen-takes-on-new-york-over-vax-mandate-and-wins">said</a>. “Many, many families have had to move out of town, get vaccinated against medical advice — some children have been severely harmed by that.”
It’s unclear how vaccine requirements will be peeled back in the state, but Ladapo does oversee the Florida Department of Health. He also noted that this vision will be possible with the help of state lawmakers, who Ladapo said will “have to make decisions” on these matters.
Gov. DeSantis has led the charge on the issue of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/12/desantis-medical-freedom-laws?utm_source=chatgpt.com">medical freedom</a> in the wake of the aggressive COVID policies. In 2023, for example, he signed a set of medical freedom measures into law, which banned mask and vaccine mandates and added new conscience protections for health care providers. He flanked Ladapo during the announcement to end all vaccination requirements on Wednesday.
Federally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has moved to effectively make COVID vaccine mandates illegal by ending “emergency use authorization” for the vaccines.
“We saw the heavy-handed government with the vaccine mandates with the COVID vaccine, no longer is that possible given the landscape that we’ve created,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary <a href="https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/1962895599835009184">said</a>. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-removes-woke-crosswalk-sparks-backlash-from-the-left?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DeSantis+Removes+Woke+Crosswalk%2C+Sparks+Backlash+From+The+Left">DeSantis Removes Woke Crosswalk, Sparks Backlash From The Left</a>

Syringe and Coronavirus vaccine

First In The Nation: Florida To End All Vaccine Mandates

Florida

News

Ron DeSantis

Vaccine Mandate

Vaccines

In recent years, California&#8217;s K-12 schools, colleges, and universities have increasingly begun classroom sessions and meetings with land acknowledgements. 
For those unfamiliar, the California Community Colleges (CCC) website explains that a <a href="https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/land-acknowledgement">land acknowledgement</a> is &#8220;a formal statement that recognizes and respects the Indigenous peoples as traditional stewards of this land, the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous peoples and their traditional lands.” The CCC further argues that “all of California is Indian land” and that these acknowledgements are a recognition of “the original people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial.”
Reading this language for the first time can be jarring for the uninitiated. It’s one thing to acknowledge and show respect to indigenous tribes of the past, it’s another to require school children and administrators to publicly recite these statements.
It is true, much of North America was inhabited by a wide variety of Indian tribes. The westward push of European settlers brought an inevitable clash of civilizations with Indigenous peoples. Some encounters led to trade and cooperation, while others descended into violence. Many tribes were nomadic and waged war against rival tribes and settlers alike. But as American settler populations grew, treaties were broken, land was seized, and tribes were forcibly moved.
Given this history, it is fair to ask what ultimate purpose land acknowledgements serve today. While they are said to honor Indigenous history and affirm their continued presence, it remains questionable what actual, positive impact these statements have. They do not appear to improve living conditions or economic outcomes for Native Americans — nor do they provide concrete restitution or reform. Instead, they often operate as a type of forced ritual that foments resentment toward America and Americans of European descent. 
Take, for example, a land acknowledgement currently used in a Southern California school district:
<blockquote>I want to recognize that our District and school campuses are located in the Village of Pasbenga. I want to acknowledge that this land we refer to as Orange County, is the unceded and traditional lands of the Gabrielino Tongva Nation, and the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians Acjachemen Nation. These lands were taken through a process of colonization, physical, and cultural genocide. I want to pay my respect to elders, both past and present, as well as the Tongva and Acjachemen Youth who have attended and are currently attending our schools in the neighboring districts.</blockquote>
I find this not only unhelpful but grossly inappropriate — particularly for pre-kindergarten or elementary-aged children, who are subject to various versions of these acknowledgements through ethnic studies programs like the <a href="https://www.liberatedethnicstudies.org/uploads/1/6/1/9/16198322/ch_1_pk-2_one_voice_many_people.pdf">California Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum</a>. Children in public schools are exposed to highly politicized narratives about guilt, victimization, and responsibility — long before they are able to grapple with such complex or contentious historical realities.
One of the central flaws of land acknowledgements is that those who promote them rarely pair acknowledgment of past wrongs with any tangible action to remedy them. It reveals an institutional comfort with empty, performative statements: moralizing language that resonates in assemblies and boardrooms but does not foster improvements for Native communities. If academic institutions truly believed their own rhetoric, the only meaningful next step would be the return of their own land — or substantial, material investment. Yet there are no examples of these institutions actually returning any land.
For educators and administrators, the ritual of land acknowledgement belies a more insidious lesson for students: that words without action are sufficient, that virtue is to be signaled but need not be practiced. Children are perceptive. They know, or eventually learn, when adults say one thing but do another. In the long run, this undermines trust and models a kind of hypocrisy — a failure to follow words with real change.
There is another critical aspect frequently overlooked: land acknowledgements fundamentally bypass the authority of parents to determine how values are taught to their own children. In California’s educational system, land acknowledgements are often treated as mandatory and thus serve as vehicles for moral instruction. They transmit a particular worldview about history and justice which may conflict with what some parents believe and wish to impart themselves. The primary function of public education is not to instill contested moral values, but rather to equip students with knowledge and analytical tools. Land acknowledgements risk inverting that focus, making politics rather than learning the centerpiece of the classroom experience.
Finally, the most serious issue may be that land acknowledgements overlook or even erase the substantive progress that has been made to address historical wrongs. Over recent decades, the U.S. government has implemented extensive settlement and reparation processes in recognition of the suffering endured by Native Americans. The <a href="https://www.bia.gov/bia/history/history-indian-land-consolidation#cobell-settlement-and-land-buy-back-program-2012-2022-2">Cobell settlement</a> in 2009, for example, allocated $3.4 billion in compensation for government mismanagement of tribal funds and resources. There have also been concrete land returns, such as the <a href="https://www.npca.org/articles/2779-the-milestone-for-public-lands-you-ve-never-heard-of-and-why-it-matters">restoration of Blue Lake</a> to Taos Pueblo, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havasupai_Indian_Reservation">acreage </a>to the Havasupai, and <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/04/26/a-step-towards-healing-and-restoration-california-to-support-the-return-of-ancestral-tribal-lands-and-lands-management-projects/">tribal land initiatives in California</a> involving over 38,000 acres transferred back for stewardship and management.
Neither California nor the federal government can ever fully undo the harms of the past. Rather than engage in hollow, performative gestures, educational leaders should actively support positive, meaningful efforts like investing in Native communities, supporting language and culture, and teaching students the full truth of history along with contemporary progress.
We must move beyond symbolic language and show California’s students and families, by example, what real partnership, restitution, and responsibility look like.
* * *
Walter Myers III is a Southern California-based Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Land Acknowledgement

Land Acknowledgements In California Schools: ‘All Of California Is Indian Land’

Land Acknowledgements In California Schools: 'All Of California Is Indian Land'

California

Colonialism

Gavin Newsom

indigenous

Land Acknowledgements

Native Americans

Whites

In March, the Trump Administration issued an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/restoring-truth-and-sanity-to-american-history/">Executive Order</a> (EO) calling for a restoration of “Truth and Sanity to American History” which included a review of the Smithsonian Institute Museums. Now, the Administration is making good on that EO.
Naturally, politicians, Left-wing media, and the far-Left are pouncing with charges of &#8220;Stalinist tactics,” “fascism,” and “Trump’s historical vision.”
Yet, the most glaring example to justify the Administration’s action is the now <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/smithsonian-race-guidelines-rational-thinking-hard-work-are-white-values-1518333">infamous</a> Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture’s &#8220;Aspects and Assumptions of Whiteness in the United States.&#8221;
But it is not just the one museum, the American Art Museum also features a <a href="https://americanart.si.edu/furthering-conversation-about-whiteness">page</a> titled “Furthering the Conversation About Whiteness.”
While the auditing of these institutions is probably overdue and necessary, there also needs to be a spotlight put on the teaching of culture and history in our educational institutions, especially K-12 schools.
The defensive position from the Left is that they just want to teach “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/27/opinions/teachers-union-critical-race-theory-schools-weingarten">honest history</a>.” Meant to sound noble, this is nothing more than wordplay. It is misdirection in an attempt to hide their heavily curated and far-Left [re]vision of history.
“Honest history,” as they will have the public believe, is just teaching the history of “underrepresented groups” to highlight their contributions to the United States. However, peel back the feel-good façade and it is clear there is a political agenda to advance anti-American, anti-Western ideologies – i.e. anti-“whiteness.”
In the context of K-12 education, there is no clearer example of this than [liberated/critical] ethnic studies.
Sold to school districts, parents, students, and the public writ large as the teaching of history and culture of minority groups, it is a far-Left radical political programming.
It is agitprop being deployed on children into K-12 schools. Amping up their emotions, preying on their empathy, and then feeding them politically biased content.
It’s general framework begins with a heavy focus on a student’s various racial and ethnic “identities,” or intersectionality. The intention is to create a strong tribal attachment to the student’s collective identities.
It then introduces “<a href="https://www.newsmax.com/politics/critical-competency-consciousness/2023/12/07/id/1145144/">critical consciousness</a>,” which trains students to find racism and oppression everywhere in their lives. Driving them into a constant state of anxiety and fear.
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For example, a recent Castro Valley Unified School District ethnic studies <a href="https://cvk12ca.community.highbond.com/document/cf8c0982-2db8-464f-83da-7932fab50636/">presentation</a> to the district board demonstrates this via student art which states “As an Asian American, racism is prevalent all around me.”
Ethnic studies activate deep feelings of anger and resentment in students towards the United States, and even towards their white teachers and peers.
A <a href="https://cla.umn.edu/ridgs/ethnic-studies-initiative/ethnic-studies-evaluation-projects">review</a> of Saint Paul Publics Schools’ ethnic studies program by the University of Minnesota highlights several students’ reflections on the course. One anonymous student stated &#8220;Why would a course about being critical have white teachers? My school has one [B]lack teacher teaching it. How can we be critical if we don’t listen to the voices who are firstly impacted? Also, white teachers even if they mean well will implement their own biases that students will have to deal with.”
The political programming continues by creating heroes, legends, and mythology through the intentional curation of historical events and peoples that have modeled “resistance” against whiteness. Examples include <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/ethnic-studies-course-features-poster-of-che-guevara-on-wall-includes-content-focused-on-white-supremacy-and-privilege/">Che Guevara</a>, the <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/scotts-valley-unified-school-district-ethnic-studies-course-teaches-students-that-capitalism-heterosexism-and-ableism-are-systems-of-oppression-and-forms-of-oppression-requires-students-to-part/">Black Panther Party, Angela Davis</a>, and even a defense of <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/san-francisco-unified-school-district-provides-resource-to-social-studies-and-ethnic-studies-teachers-that-claims-israeli-terrorism-has-been-significantly-worse-than-that-of-the-palestinians-reso/">anti-Israel</a> activism and terrorism.
Finally, students are taught and required to engage in far-Left social justice activism. Under the guise of “Youth Participatory Action Research,” students are trained to become street <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/20/staley-k-12-student-demonstrations-equity-double-standard/">activists</a> for the flavor-of-the-day far-Left cause.
Eventually, the goal is to embed it into every single subject area and <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/santa-rosa-city-schools-ethnic-studies-courses-feature-critical-race-theory-whiteness-and-social-justice-activism-paid-ethnic-studies-consultant-530000-over-four-years/">curriculum</a>. They admit this outright.
In California, San Rafael City Schools <a href="https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030430&amp;MID=24501&amp;enIID=fBHmEqAHmyvMJ3CrfpluszzjQ%3D%3D&amp;srch=ethnic+studies&amp;ktype=Exact&amp;Tab=Agenda">contracted</a> with the University of California Berkeley’s <a href="https://ucbhssp.berkeley.edu/ethnic-studies">History-Social Science Project</a> to integrate ethnic studies “concepts and pedagogies” into the district’s World and U.S. history courses.
The university’s site states that it is assisting teachers and districts in integrating the “<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/13h6vVmJEeVyk1XdBAGZDuxMiZjLhhoYD4loNz7NSlck/copy">CA Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum</a>” into courses, which includes helping teachers “familiarize themselves with&#8230;critical race theory, intersectionality, which are key theoretical frameworks and pedagogies.”
This issue is not about the actual teaching of culture and history; it is about how far-Left actors are advancing their cultural revolution via the long march through American institutions.
While the Administration and public focus their attention on the national museums, heavy scrutiny must simultaneously be placed on the teaching of “honest history” and ethnic studies in K-12.
The advancement of anti-American and anti-Western ideologies need to be removed from classrooms.
* * *
Rhyen Staley is a researcher for Defending Education. He holds a master&#8217;s degree in elementary education and has over a decade of classroom experience in both public and private schools. He has over 25 years of volleyball coaching experience from Women’s Division I down to junior high.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Empty Black Board in Classroom

‘Furthering The Conversation About Whiteness’: Anti-American Rhetoric On The Rise In The Classroom

'Furthering The Conversation About Whiteness': Anti-American Rhetoric On The Rise In The Classroom

American History

Critical Race Theory

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Ethnic Studies

Leftists

Whiteness

Parents, your child&#8217;s school might be gearing up to push transgender ideology this fall.
As the first day of school approaches, the pressing cultural issue that continues to rile parents and helped catapult Trump to the White House in November remains alive and well in hundreds of school districts across the country despite the president&#8217;s efforts to stamp it out.
During his first weeks in office, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-indoctrination-in-k-12-schooling/">signed</a> a pair of executive orders threatening public schools with existential federal funding cuts if they refuse to root out &#8220;gender ideology,&#8221; including erasing it from the curriculum, <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/keeping-men-out-of-womens-sports/">banning</a> males from girls&#8217; sports teams and locker rooms, and no longer encouraging children&#8217;s &#8220;social transitions,&#8221; which can include using new pronouns, allowing students to use the bathrooms of the opposite sex, and hiding their transgender identities from parents.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a sort of coast-to-coast misconception about the fact that the cavalry&#8217;s arrived and all of these bad policies are suddenly being rescinded,&#8221; said Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president at Defending Education, which fights gender indoctrination in public schools.
&#8220;Unfortunately, factually the reality remains something completely different,&#8221; Perry told The Daily Wire. &#8220;We&#8217;ve seen kind of a mixed bag. There are some [districts] that are holdouts. There are some that are going along to get along, and then there are others who are simply hiding what they&#8217;ve done by pulling off their particular policies from that educational outlet&#8217;s website and essentially passing the buck back to the state.&#8221;
In the wake of Trump&#8217;s orders, some school districts scrambled to comply and scrapped their transgender policies, which they had adopted a few years ago at the peak of the ideology&#8217;s influence.
In deep red Nebraska, Bellevue Public Schools reversed its 2015 policy. The district now allows teachers to disclose a child&#8217;s transgender identity to parents and says students must use the bathroom of their biological sex.
The district cannot afford to lose its $10 million in federal funding, and parents were very concerned, according to Superintendent Jeff Rippe.
“We’ve had concerned students, concerned parents, about this policy,” Rippe <a href="https://www.wowt.com/2025/04/15/bellevue-public-schools-changes-regulation-transgender-students/">said</a>. &#8220;$10 million is what we get in federal funding. And that means a lot to this school district. Speaking personally, we cannot afford to lose $10 million.”
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On the other side of the political aisle, entire blue states have openly bucked Trump&#8217;s orders. The administration is locked in lawsuits with California, Maine, and Minnesota.
Minnesota made the first move in its fight — it <a href="https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Office/Communications/2025/04/22_EO_TitleIX.asp">sued</a> the Trump administration in April over the transgender sports order. Meanwhile, the Education Department is <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/12/us-news/education-department-tags-in-doj-to-probe-minnesota-after-trans-athlete-helps-girls-softball-team-win-title/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">investigating</a> Minnesota after a trans-identifying male softball player&#8217;s shutout pitching helped <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boy-pitches-complete-game-shutout-to-win-girls-softball-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launch</a> his girls&#8217; team to its first state championship.
California, the biggest player throwing its weight around, <a href="https://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Update-Regarding-Compliance-with-Equal-Protection-Clause-of-U.S.-Constitution.pdf">said</a> it would follow the liberal state&#8217;s laws on males in girls&#8217; sports over Trump&#8217;s orders. The Education Department found California in violation of Title IX. When California missed the deadline to comply, the Justice Department sued the Golden State, the next step in terminating its federal education funding.
Governor Gavin Newsom has &#8220;not only not read the room right, he&#8217;s actually not following what both the Constitution&#8217;s Supremacy Clause and Title IX&#8217;s actual direct text indicate he needs to do,&#8221; Perry said.
The Constitution states that federal law — in this case, Title IX — overrides state law.
A similar situation is playing out in Maine.
Governor Janet Mills infamously <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YAQhP_Qtek">snapped</a>, &#8220;We&#8217;ll see you in court,&#8221; to Trump when he called her out in person at a February dinner over Maine allowing males in girls&#8217; sports.
&#8220;Good, I&#8217;ll see you in court,&#8221; Trump told her. &#8220;That should be a real easy one.&#8221;
The Education Department later <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-announces-consequences-maines-title-ix-noncompliance">found</a> Maine in violation of Title IX over its sports policy, and the Justice Department has sued the state, seeking to end its funding.
The Education Department is <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-investigate-title-ix-violations-athletics">also</a> <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-athlete-ban-oregon-d9a84e255bbf797687efadbc5a6a38a2">investigating</a> Massachusetts and Oregon over transgender sports policies, as well as the odd school district here and there — Chicago Public Schools, the Jefferson County district in the Denver area, several Connecticut school districts, and Saratoga Springs, New York, which made a <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ny/saratogaschools/Board.nsf/files/DF3LRZ57E1E0/$file/DRAFT%20Statement%20by%20the%20SSCSD%20BOE%203-27-25.pdf">show</a> of <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/06/us-news/trump-admin-probes-saratoga-springs-school-for-defying-federal-order-banning-transgender-athletes-in-girls-sports/">defying</a> Trump&#8217;s executive order disallowing boys to participate in girls&#8217; sports, reaffirming &#8220;its unwavering commitment to providing a safe, inclusive, and high-quality education for every student.&#8221;
Red states are not immune to such defiance either.
The Education Department is <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-launches-investigations-four-kansas-school-districts-alleged-title-ix-ferpa-violations?utm_source=chatgpt.com">investigating</a> four Kansas school districts for allowing male students in girls&#8217; sports and bathrooms, and hiding students&#8217; transgender identities from parents.
A slew of other blue states have pushed back directly as well, some explicitly telling their schools to ignore Trump&#8217;s orders, including <a href="https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/nysed-oag-joint-statement-regarding-transgender-students.pdf">New York</a>, <a href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/video/nj-athletic-association-to-keep-open-policy-on-transgender-students/">New Jersey</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/02/25/illinois-schools-transgender-history-curriculum?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Illinois</a>, <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2025/02/14/michigan-superintendent-says-trump-executive-order-wont-change-state-policy/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Michigan</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxJVErkc6b0">Maryland</a>, <a href="https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/01/15/massachusetts-transgender-student-protections-title-ix-newsletter?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Massachusetts</a>, <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/07/pacific-northwest-education-leaders-resist-trump-transgender/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Oregon</a>, <a href="https://riag.ri.gov/press-releases/attorney-general-neronha-and-commissioner-infante-green-issue-guidance-schools-lgbtq?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Rhode Island</a>, and Washington state.
“What I would say is, follow state law, follow state law, and then, if you’re not sure, follow state law,” state Superintendent Chris Reykdal <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-politics/mead-follow-state-law/4062872">told</a> a Spokane area district school board that expressed concern over Trump&#8217;s executive order.
Other states, including Colorado, Delaware, Connecticut, Vermont, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C., still have transgender education policies in place.
All of those states and more <a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-transgender-athlete-ban-oregon-d9a84e255bbf797687efadbc5a6a38a2">signed</a> onto a lawsuit opposing Trump&#8217;s executive order banning diversity, equity, and inclusion ideologies in schools, which includes transgender ideology.
&#8220;Unfortunately, it seems to me that a lot of these blue state governors don&#8217;t have very good attorneys,&#8221; Perry said.
She predicted that the California and Maine lawsuits will eventually end up at the Supreme Court.
&#8220;They&#8217;re more inclined to take up state lawsuits like this because there are two different interpretations of long-standing federal law,&#8221; she said.
Perry noted that last summer, the Supreme Court agreed to block the Biden administration&#8217;s radical new interpretation of Title IX, which included gender identity, in 26 states. All nine justices agreed the plaintiffs were entitled to preliminary injunctions.
&#8220;I think it was a pretty good indication that once they get the case on the merits, people like Gavin Newsom and Governor Janet Mills are going to be roundly disappointed by exactly how it ends up,&#8221; Perry said.
This month, a saga unfolded when five northern Virginia school districts stubbornly clung to their transgender policies, which allow boys in girls&#8217; bathrooms.
The school districts for Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington County, Prince William County, and Alexandria City all announced last week that they would not be changing their policies after the Education Department found them in violation of Title IX.
Loudoun County Public Schools, which became an early flashpoint in the transgender debate after a sexual assault in the girls&#8217; bathroom by a boy in a dress, took the lead in defying the Trump administration. A few days before the deadline, the board <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/08/13/loudoun-county-transgender-policy-education-department/">voted</a> 6-3 to keep its policy. The other four Virginia districts followed suit with similar announcements.
The Education Department has said it will begin the process of pulling federal education funding from the five Virginia school districts, which receive over $50 million and serve nearly 400,000 students.
&#8220;The Virginia districts will have to defend their embrace of radical gender ideology over ensuring the safety of their students,&#8221; an Education Department spokesperson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-administration-threatens-pull-federal-funds-from-virginia-school-districts-gender-policy-dispute">said</a>.
While all this was going on, two Loudoun County high school boys were also <a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/news/loudoun-county-students-suspended-amid-boys-locker-room-title-ix-probe">suspended</a> and found guilty of sexual harassment and sex-based discrimination for questioning why a girl was changing in the boys&#8217; locker room. Their parents are fighting the decision.
Parents did get a win in Loudoun County last month when the district <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-loudoun-county-teachers-dont-have-to-use-trans-pronouns-court-rules?author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=19&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Loudoun+County+Teachers+Don’t+Have+To+Use+Trans+Pronouns%2C+Court+Rules">backed down</a> on its pronoun policy after several teachers sued. Loudoun was also previously forced to give a physical education teacher his job back after he was suspended for speaking out against the pronoun policy.
Not every school district flouting the Trump administration is doing it so loudly.
More than 21,000 schools at one point followed a policy to hide children&#8217;s transgender identities from parents, according to Defending Education&#8217;s <a href="https://defendinged.org/investigations/list-of-school-district-transgender-gender-nonconforming-student-policies/">database</a>.
Many never changed those transgender policies and are hoping to fly under the radar.
Corey DeAngelis, a prominent school choice advocate, explained that enforcing Trump&#8217;s executive orders on thousands of individual local districts has proved to be an unwieldy task.
&#8220;Top-down orders aimed at rooting out gender ideology from our schools are welcome developments. They&#8217;re a step in the right direction,&#8221; DeAngelis told The Daily Wire. &#8220;But they are not efficient, because rogue public school employees will continue to skirt the law behind closed doors, and enforcement can prove to be very difficult.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen the same problem with states banning concepts like Critical Race Theory,&#8221; DeAngelis said, noting that public school administrators in red states have been <a href="https://aim.org/2025/07/07/yet-another-news-outlet-tallies-dei-staffer-departures/">caught</a> on video admitting that they ignored diversity, equity, and inclusion bans.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. That&#8217;s exactly why we also need school choice,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If families get a whiff of something wrong happening in their child&#8217;s school &#8230; they should be able to vote with their feet to schools that align with their values.&#8221;
Parents who wish to keep their children in their public school districts should remain vigilant, Perry said. Thankfully, there is &#8220;intense interest&#8221; among Defending Education&#8217;s 375 parent groups across the country in getting transgender school policies rescinded, she said.
&#8220;I would recommend to parents that they need not sit on their laurels and say this is a mission-accomplished administration, but to actually ask hard questions of their local school board,&#8221; Perry said. &#8220;Will trans-identified males be allowed in their daughter&#8217;s bathrooms or on their daughter&#8217;s sports teams? Will locker rooms be opened up under gender neutrality?&#8221;
&#8220;They need to be diligent in enforcing their rights,&#8221; she concluded.

Donald Trump Campaigns For President In Georgia Ahead Of November Election

Your Child’s School Might Still Be Pushing Transgender Ideology Despite Trump’s Orders

Your Child's School Might Still Be Pushing Transgender Ideology Despite Trump's Orders

Donald Trump

Transgender

A U.S. district judge appointed by former President Bill Clinton temporarily blocked a new Texas law for some school districts on Wednesday, preventing them from being required to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
Texas Senate Bill 10 (S.B. 10) was signed into law by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in June. It <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB10/2025">stated</a>, “a public elementary or secondary school shall display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments.”
The bill <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB10/2025">stated</a> the Commandments would be listed thus:
<blockquote>
I AM the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.    
Thou shalt not  make to thyself any graven images.   
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.   
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.   
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.   
Thou shalt not kill. 
Thou shalt not commit adultery. 
Thou shalt not steal. 
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 
Thou shalt not covet they neighbor’s house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.   
</blockquote>
Texas would be the largest state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools. Louisiana was the first to pass a law last year, but a federal appeals court blocked it.
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But U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued an injunction on Wednesday that barred 11 school districts named as defendants in a lawsuit from displaying the Ten Commandments. Other public school districts in the state are still bound by the law, which takes effect September 1.
“Even though the Ten Commandments would not be affirmatively taught, the captive audience of students likely would have questions, which teachers would feel compelled to answer,” Biery wrote. “There is also insufficient evidence of a broader tradition of using the Ten Commandments in public education, and there is no tradition of permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in public-school classrooms. &#8230; There are ways in which students could be taught any relevant history of the Ten Commandments without the state selecting an official version of scripture, approving it in state law, and then displaying it in every classroom on a permanent basis.”
In 1980, in the case Stone v. Graham, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that posting the Ten Commandments in Kentucky public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. Justice William Rehnquist issued a blistering dissent in which he noted:
<blockquote>
The Court rejects the secular purpose articulated by the State because the Decalogue is &#8220;undeniably a sacred text.”  It is equally undeniable, however, as the elected representatives of Kentucky determined, that the Ten Commandments have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western World.
The Establishment Clause does not require that the public sector be insulated from all things which may have a religious significance or origin. This Court has recognized that &#8220;religion has been closely identified with our history and government,&#8221; Abington School District, and that &#8220;[t]he history of man is inseparable from the history of religion,&#8221; Engel v. Vital. Kentucky has decided to make students aware of this fact by demonstrating the secular impact of the Ten Commandments.
</blockquote>
He quoted Justice Robert Jackson, concurring in the 1948 case McCollum v. Board of Education, who wrote:
<blockquote>
I think it remains to be demonstrated whether it is possible, even if desirable, to comply with such demands as plaintiff&#8217;s completely to isolate and cast out of secular education all that some people may reasonably regard as religious instruction. Perhaps subjects such as mathematics, physics or chemistry are, or can be, completely secularized. But it would not seem practical to teach either practice or appreciation of the arts if we are to forbid exposure of youth to any religious influences. Music without sacred music, architecture minus the cathedral, or painting without the scriptural themes would be eccentric and incomplete, even from a secular point of view. &#8230;
 I should suppose it is a proper, if not an indispensable, part of preparation for a worldly life to know the roles that religion and religions have played in the tragic story of mankind. The fact is that, for good or for ill, nearly everything in our culture worth transmitting, everything which gives meaning to life, is saturated with religious influences, derived from paganism, Judaism, Christianity&#8211;both Catholic and Protestant&#8211;and other faiths accepted by a large part of the world&#8217;s peoples. One can hardly respect the system of education that would leave the student wholly ignorant of the currents of religious thought that move the world society for a part in which he is being prepared.
</blockquote>

Ten_Commandments_Monument

Clinton-Appointed Judge Blocks Texas Law Requiring Schools Display The Ten Commandments

Ten Commandments

Texas

Students across the country are getting ready to head back to school, and this year they’ll have the chance to take on a different kind of assignment: the first-ever Presidential AI Challenge. An outgrowth of an executive order signed by President Trump in April, the Challenge aims to inspire students, educators and community leaders to work together to ensure the next generation is ready to take on the unprecedented technological change we can expect in the near future. This goes beyond politics, and asks students to find ways to use artificial intelligence to respond to challenges in students’ local communities.
This initiative has arrived not a moment too soon. New developments in AI are announced almost daily – some promising, some disconcerting. The headlines show us every day that this world-changing technology will need governance and guardrails left firmly in qualified human hands. The Trump White House understands this, and is right to engage America’s youth. Who better to challenge our thinking on emerging tech than those who will be impacted the most?
If educators prioritize safe and ethical engagement with AI in the classroom, this could be one of the most consequential school years in decades. Generation Z is coming close to the end of their school years. Generation Alpha, in school behind them, may well be renamed by history as “Generation AI,” because they will be the first to come of age in a world with all the power of artificial intelligence at their fingertips. The sooner they start working through what that means, the better.
Different schools and communities will inspire students to meet the Presidential AI Challenge in different ways, but there are a few consistent elements that educators, community leaders, and the tech community should strive to instill in American youth so that they learn to engage with AI in responsible, ethical ways.
The first is to reconceptualize the idea of digital citizenship. It’s not just about being nice on social media anymore (although that remains important). But we must make sure students understand that AI is a tool to be used responsibly, and that being a good citizen extends to online communities. Understanding ethical standards is key, as is the constant reminder that technology should serve humanity, and not the other way around. As powerful as the technology will be, the students using it will have to remember that their human mind is still in charge.
If the human minds are to remain in charge, we will need to sharpen critical thinking skills at all educational levels. Switzerland and Sweden, for instance, have integrated these skills into all levels of their curriculum – even into continuing education in their workforce. Critical thinking will be the bedrock of ethical AI use. By fostering skills to question, analyze, and evaluate AI outputs, we empower learners to challenge assumptions and create AI systems that foster trust and respect. The use of AI as a crutch – like writing your term papers for you – is the exact opposite of this. It’s more than just lazy – it sets us back on doing the important work to keep this technology in check.
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To stop AI from replacing critical thinking, we should train students to use AI as a tool for exploration and curiosity: start with an idea in your own brain, then explore further with AI-generated insight that you never fully trust and always verify. Once outputs are created, there must always be a &#8220;human in the loop&#8221; by design, evaluating AI outputs and coming up with an original solution based on human judgment. Students can study, design, and ensure solutions reflect steps that allow humans to interject moral reasoning and human creativity.
The next generation will need to understand more than just how to interact with a chatbot in a safe, ethical, and helpful way. AI’s ripple effects will go beyond our screens, as the need for more physical data centers to power AI innovation increases. We must set an example by wrestling with policy questions, like energy access issues, in an empathetic, human-centered way. We don’t want power grids diverting power to data centers while hospitals can’t keep their machines on. AI must be used to uplift communities, as outlined in the Presidential AI Challenge.
We are poised to mark the 250th anniversary of America’s founding in a world abounding with technology that our founders could only dream of. But the same values that inspired them, a “decent respect” for freedom, human dignity, and individual rights, should guide us as we explore this uncharted technological territory. The upcoming school year, educators and students alike have a fascinating opportunity to engage with this technology in ways that align with our values.
* * *
Theresa Payton is the founder and CEO of Fortalice Solutions. She served as the White House Chief Information Officer under President George W. Bush, and co-founded the Major-Payton School of Business at Immaculata University.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

School boy in a computer lab.

AI Heads Back To School: Students Face A Challenge That Will Shape The Future

Artificial Intelligence

Computer

President Trump

Schools

Technology

Anxious Teenage Student Sitting Examination In School Hall

The Fake ‘Mental Health’ Test Coming To Your Child’s School

Big Pharma

Health Care

Illinois

Matt Walsh

Mental Health

Pfizer

The Loudoun County school board will no longer force staff to use students&#8217; preferred pronouns after teachers sued over the Northern Virginia school district&#8217;s transgender policy, a court ruled on Thursday.
In a free speech victory for several teachers who sued, the Loudoun County Circuit Court officially recognized that Loudoun County Public Schools no longer requires teachers to use pronouns inconsistent with students’ biological sex.
The court noted that &#8220;on its face, [the transgender policy] does not require teachers or other staff to use a pronoun to refer to a person that a teacher believes is inconsistent with the person’s sex. Instead, [the policy] permits staff to refrain from using any pronouns.”
The transgender <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/loudoun/Board.nsf/files/D7VLH356939A/$file/8040.pdf">policy</a>, which was adopted in 2021, allows &#8220;gender-expansive or transgender students&#8221; to choose their names and pronouns. Originally, officials stated that it required teachers to use them as well.
&#8220;Staff or students who intentionally and persistently refuse to respect a student’s gender identity by using the wrong name and gender pronoun are in violation of this policy,&#8221; the policy reads.
However, the Loudoun County school board backed down on requiring teachers to use pronouns after Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys <a href="https://adfmedia.org/case/vlaming-v-west-point-school-board/">won</a> a victory on the same issue for another high school teacher, Peter Vlaming, in a different Virginia school district.
Thursday&#8217;s court ruling affirms the school board&#8217;s new interpretation of its policy.
This is the second victory for Loudoun County teachers in this case.
In May 2021, physical education teacher Tanner Cross spoke at a school board meeting and expressed his concerns that the new transgender policy would violate teachers and parents&#8217; rights and be harmful to students.
A few days later, Cross was suspended by Leesburg Elementary School.
He <a href="https://adfmedia.org/case/cross-v-loudoun-county-school-board/">ultimately</a> got his job back when Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys sued on his behalf, and the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that his constitutional rights had likely been violated.
&#8220;Unfortunately, thereafter &#8230; the school board adopted [the transgender policy] without making any revisions or addressing any of the concerns that Tanner or the other parents and teachers addressed,&#8221; Tyson Langhofer, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, told The Daily Wire.
Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys added two more teachers to the lawsuit against the policy — Smart’s Mill Middle School English teacher Kim Wright and Loudoun County High School history teacher Monica Gill.
&#8220;Thankfully, now after several years of litigation, the school has agreed that its policy does not and cannot compel teachers to use pronouns that students request which are inconsistent with the student&#8217;s sex,&#8221; Langhofer said.
Gill, one of the plaintiffs celebrating Thursday&#8217;s ruling, has taught in Loudoun County for nearly 25 years.
&#8220;I treasure all my students, regardless of whether they identify as the opposite sex,&#8221; Gill said in a statement to The Daily Wire.
However, the transgender policy &#8220;threatened to make me ignore biological reality and lie to my students,&#8221; Gill said.
&#8220;This policy jeopardized the dignity of all students,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I&#8217;m pleased that the school district has now honored my constitutionally protected freedom to speak to my students in love and truth.&#8221;
Loudoun County has been a flash point in the national controversy over transgender ideology in schools, starting with The Daily Wire&#8217;s bombshell 2021 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/loudoun-county-schools-tried-to-conceal-sexual-assault-against-daughter-in-bathroom-father-says">investigation</a> into a father&#8217;s claim that the school district covered up the rape of his daughter by a male student in a skirt in the girls&#8217; school bathroom.
&#8220;For many, many years, Loudoun County, along with many other school boards across the country, have acted as if they control, that they&#8217;re ultimately responsible for the education of the children rather than parents,&#8221; attorney Langhofer said.
&#8220;They&#8217;ve also acted as if they get to control all of teachers&#8217; speech and that they can punish teachers for disagreeing with the school on really important topics such as human sexuality and gender identity,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;So this ruling is a great victory for teachers who don&#8217;t want to express messages that they think are untrue or are harmful to students and also don&#8217;t want to mislead parents about how their schools are treating the students at school,&#8221; the attorney said.

Trans Rights Protest At Downing Street As UK Government Blocks Scottish Parliament Law On Self Identification

EXCLUSIVE: Loudoun County Teachers Don’t Have To Use Trans Pronouns, Court Rules

EXCLUSIVE: Loudoun County Teachers Don't Have To Use Trans Pronouns After Lawsuit

Loudoun County

Virginia

Another day, another far-Left street protest.
It gets hard to keep up with the current “thing” as activists switch out causes like the average person changes underwear. Last month’s pro-Palestine protest is yesterday’s anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest is today’s pro-Iran protest.
But the issue is never the issue. The issue is the revolution.
Even more concerning is how K-12 schools have been infiltrated by organizations to serve as fertile recruiting and training grounds for the next generation of far-Left activists.
Leveraging (liberated) ethnic studies courses as an access point, these outside groups hide behind “history” and “culture” to advance their radical ideology and recruit students and staff into their ranks.
School districts, in order to comply with California’s Assembly Bill 101 (2021) which mandates that students in the class of 2029-30 complete one semester of ethnic studies, have been hiring far-Left organizations to assist in developing and implementing these course curriculums, as well as running professional development trainings and conferences for teachers.
For example, an early July <a href="https://www.xicanxinstitute.org/summer-2025">ethnic studies conference</a> in Arizona features a “Pre-Institute Field Day on the Border” which includes “visiting a desert surveillance tower with local organizers.” The participants will “examine how the same technologies are used against Palestinians.”
On May 13, 2025, Stockton Unified School District’s board <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/susd/Board.nsf/goto?open&amp;id=DFJRPV6F023F">approved</a> spending $28,000 to send ten ethnic studies educators to attend the institute.
One of the institute’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xitotucson/p/DKk82TWSPMe/">sessions</a>, titled “Education as a Front, A Weapon &amp; A Tool,” includes panelists such as the chair of the Association of Raza Educators (ARE) and co-founder of <a href="https://www.liberatedethnicstudies.org/guadalupe-carrasco-cardona.html">Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Consortium</a> (LESMC), and the director of Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC).
According to the description on Instagram, the “panel of educators and organizers will share tactics on how we can join forces by highlighting their work in the streets and in the schools, and help us identify critical fronts for cross movement solidarity.”
Both ARE and AROC openly engage in far-Left street activism. ARE’s Instagram is filled with protest propaganda, including a February 23, 2023, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/raza_educators_la/reel/DGa7kIVvqKw/?api=Selesaikan+latihan+online+untuk+menghasilkan+uang%E3%80%90GB777.BET%E3%80%91.dprv&amp;hl=zh-cn">post</a> which shows members of ARE following ICE agents to their “home base.”
Additionally, AROC helped organize the blockade of the <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/pro-palestine-protesters-shut-down-bay-bridge-during-apec-summit">Bay Bridge</a> in 2023, and <a href="https://www.araborganizing.org/page/port-of-oakland-shutdown/">boasts</a> about shutting down the Port of Oakland in 2024 in support of Palestine.
In 2023, San Francisco Unified School District <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/sfusd/Board.nsf/goto?open&amp;id=CU2NLP607BD5">approved</a> a four year agreement with AROC to provide “workshops in classrooms related to leadership development and cultural empowerment.” AROC is a <a href="https://www.tides.org/partner/arab-resource-organizing-center-aroc/">fiscal project</a> of the Tides Foundation.
Not only are teachers being trained to advance far-Left activism, but the ideology has been embedded in ethnic studies curriculums, including how students are graded.
On June 18, 2025, Carlsbad Unified School District’s board <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/cusd/Board.nsf/goto?open&amp;id=DH9QS96AAC48">approved</a> a year-long elective ethnic studies course which includes units on studying and engaging in activism. Grading rubrics included in the draft document reveal that students are assessed on how well they advocate for “justice in speech and perspective” and recognize “equity as essential.”
In other words, students are taught to identify oppression and injustice (critical consciousness) and to act on it (praxis).
<a href="https://www.newsmax.com/politics/critical-competency-consciousness/2023/12/07/id/1145144/">Critical consciousness</a>, a primary concept in ethnic studies, teaches students to view everything using an oppressor — oppressed binary lens. The goal is to get the youth to constantly seek out new social justice causes to which they can attach themselves.
For example, a 2023 Pajaro Valley Unified School District board <a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/ca/pvusd/Board.nsf/files/CSZQCT67A8B9/$file/June%2028%20(23)%20Board%20Slides_%20CRE%20(1).pdf">presentation</a> reveals how the district integrated into its “Ethnic Literature and Studies “ course an “Ethnic Studies Praxis Story Plot” that replaces a traditional plot diagram with one steeped in critical consciousness. Students are taught to read stories in a circular fashion, moving from exposing the problem and recognizing the oppressed and oppressor classes, to “resistance and revolution” and how to apply the lessons to their own social justice activism.
Instead of seeking out meaningful resolutions and solutions, these courses, such as in Carlsbad and Parajo Valley schools, create perpetual social justice activists who bounce from one cause to the next in an effort to tear down the “oppressive” system and foment “revolution.”
While far-Left ethnic studies consultants make millions in consulting fees to advance their anti-Western Civilization ideology in schools, they are simultaneously turning K-12 students into the next generation of campus and street revolutionaries.
As liberated ethnic studies expands its tentacles across the country, parents, board members, administrators, teachers, and policymakers must grapple with this destructive ideology masquerading as “culture” and “history.”
The metastasis of these far-Left recruiting and training programs in our K-12 schools must be stopped.
American families deserve schools that teach children to read, write, and do math at the highest of standards — not indoctrination into social justice activism.
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Rhyen Staley is the Research Director for Defending Education. He holds a master&#8217;s degree in elementary education and has over a decade of classroom experience in both public and private schools. He has over 25 years of volleyball coaching experience from Women’s Division I down to junior high.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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The Revolution Will Be Graded: How Radical Activists Infiltrate K–12 Education

Democrats

K-12

Protests

It’s no secret that history’s oldest prejudice is on the rise in the Big Apple. In 2024, the NYPD <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-nyc-jews-targeted-in-hate-crimes-more-than-all-other-groups-combined-in-2024/">recorded</a> an antisemitic attack every 25 hours. All in all, there were 345 antisemitic hate crimes, which constituted roughly 54% of all hate crimes reported in the city.
When it comes to combating these trends, the city’s Department of Education (DOE) has been missing in action. Parents, teachers, and students have repeatedly complained that the city’s public schools have done <a href="https://mjhnyc.org/press/jewish-advocates-demand-policy-changes-to-combat-antisemitism-at-nyc-public-high-schools/">very little</a> to address antisemitic incidents on their campuses.
Moreover, antisemitic propaganda — including an article from Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan declaring that “Jewish behavior has ill-affected Black people and others” — has <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/31/us-news/nyc-teachers-getting-anti-israel-literature-in-doe-schools/">dripped</a> into school newsletters, materials, and mass emails at least five times over the past couple of months.
However, the DOE won’t sit on the sidelines for much longer. Its latest initiative? A new Jewish addition to the existing Hidden Voices social studies curriculum, which <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/06/16/natalia-mehlman-petrzela-discusses-jewish-america-history-fighting-antisemitism-in-hidden-voices-curriculum/">focuses</a> on “centering diverse historical figures left out of typical textbooks.” In this case, that includes profiles of Jewish figures like WNBA player Nancy Lieberman and sex-positive therapist and talk-show host Ruth Westheimer. These profiles are intended to provide role models for Jewish students and introduce others to Jews’ contributions to society.
But don’t be fooled. This isn’t a serious attempt to battle antisemitism in New York City. It’s just a shallow gesture that lumps Jews into the very DEI bubble that helped create this problem to begin with. While Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives are often well-intentioned, this won’t protect the city’s Jews, it’ll just paint a bigger target on their backs.
Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, the historian behind NYC Public Schools&#8217; &#8220;Hidden Voices&#8221; social studies curriculum made it clear that her &#8220;Jewish American&#8221; history segment is an identity-based curriculum — she <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/06/16/natalia-mehlman-petrzela-discusses-jewish-america-history-fighting-antisemitism-in-hidden-voices-curriculum/">told</a> Chalkbeat New York that &#8220;these materials push educators and students to think about who identity-based curricula are for,&#8221; and that she hopes the program &#8220;invigorates [students] to commit to a pluralism and universalism that I personally think is the beating heart of a healthy community.&#8221;
Simply put, Petrzela argues that by lumping Jews — who she calls a “tiny minority” — in with other DEI groups, we can all learn more about each other.
Yet Petrzela’s approach ignores DEI’s fatal flaw. Most DEI programs <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pedagogy-Oppressed-Anniversary-Paulo-Freire/dp/0826412769">root their philosophy</a> in an oppressor vs oppressed binary, where the oppressed can do no wrong and the oppressors should be treated with contempt. This binary is especially dangerous for Jews because they rose from poverty and persecution around the world to become one of the most successful and enduring subgroups in the United States. Therefore, many DEI advocates, whether they know it or not, <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-dei-complex-will-never-protect-jews">relegate</a> Jews into the “oppressor” category.
New York City’s schools are no exception — after all, state-level officials are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/04/06/new-york-schools-dei-trump/">refusing to part</a> with DEI, and the district’s <a href="https://www.studentpathways.nyc/">Office of Student Pathways</a>, which infamously sent a <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=office+of+student+pathways+nyc+jews&amp;sca_esv=ccb8066356fd07b7&amp;sxsrf=AE3TifOxZmNlWkSUmgiFYTMS0tj3sFta0A%3A1750776477842&amp;ei=nbpaaLyZM5yOur8PsPTkyQk&amp;ved=0ahUKEwj826vQpoqOAxUch-4BHTA6OZkQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=office+of+student+pathways+nyc+jews&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiI29mZmljZSBvZiBzdHVkZW50IHBhdGh3YXlzIG55YyBqZXdzSOgIUJwDWJcIcAF4AJABAJgBnwGgAc4DqgEDNC4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIEoALRAsICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAgsQABiABBiRAhiKBcICBhAAGBYYHsICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIIEAAYogQYiQXCAgUQIRigAZgDAIgGAZAGCJIHAzMuMaAH_Q-yBwMyLjG4B88CwgcDMi4yyAcD&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp#:~:text=NYC%20public%20schools,news%20%E2%80%BA%20nyc%2Dpubli...">newsletter</a> decrying the “genocide” in Gaza back in April, often uses DEI rhetoric. 
These ideas cannot form the foundation of an effective &#8220;anti-antisemitism&#8221; plan. Institutions that hate Jews cannot teach people not to hate Jews.
The bigger problem? Even if the DEI apparatus were willing to give Jews a fair shake, this approach still wouldn’t be successful. Evidence <a href="https://aristotlefoundation.org/reality-check/what-dei-research-concludes-about-diversity-training-it-is-divisive-counter-productive-and-unnecessary/">suggests</a> that DEI training fails to stop bigotry or intolerance. Instead, “when people attempt to suppress unwanted thoughts, these thoughts are likely to subsequently reappear with even greater insistence than if they had never been suppressed.” In other words, if applied here, DEI won’t serve to educate antisemitism away — it could make the problem even worse.
Unfortunately, the problem exists regardless of the quality of the educational materials. Research <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/kisida-bowen-can-we-educate-hate-away-new-study-of-students-holocaust-education-shows-its-possible-but-only-if-conditions-are-right/">indicates</a> that even when students have access to high-quality educational materials — like first-person accounts of the Holocaust — they don’t always become more tolerant of other people and cultures. In an <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/MFDZAWYKHJGI8EWQPY4N/full?target=10.1080/19345747.2019.1652712">experiment</a> involving the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Houston, some students left slightly less tolerant than when they came in.
If New York City continues on its current path, it may create the very thing it aims to destroy. Fighting antisemitism will require more than teaching children about Jews. It will require a school culture that shows zero tolerance for hatred based on religion, ethnicity, or any other immutable category — that means vigorous policing of social media apps within schools and effective discipline for students who engage in antisemitic activity.
What it should not include is DEI. Identity politics cannot and will not end the antisemitic wave in New York’s schools and streets.
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Garion Frankel is a native of the New York metropolitan area and a Ph.D student in PK-12 educational leadership at Texas A&amp;M University. He is a Young Voices Middle East History and Peace Fellow, and his articles can be found in outlets like Newsweek, USA Today, and the Houston Chronicle.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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