Authorities arrested a high school assistant principal in Virginia on Wednesday after he and his brother allegedly made detailed plans to attack <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-sets-sights-on-next-city-for-immigration-raids?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Sets+Sights+On+Next+City+For+Immigration+Raids">federal immigration agents</a> and other law enforcement officers, according to local reports.
Kempsville High School assistant principal John W. Bennett, 54, is accused of plotting the violence alongside his brother Mark B. Bennett, 59. An off-duty Norfolk police officer overheard the pair discussing their plans as they dined at a local pho restaurant on November 15, <a href="https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/virginia-beach/virginia-beach-men-arrested-threats-police-officers-ice/291-47d9b0c4-d0eb-472f-b030-1cff19f043ec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ABC13, citing court documents.
The brothers were allegedly heard saying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were “kidnapping individuals,” while Mark Bennett mentioned plans to fly to Las Vegas to meet with “like-minded individuals” and return with “enforcement ideas and plans.”
Mark had purchased a flight for November 19, authorities later confirmed. He also mentioned recently purchasing an assault rifle because it could fire rounds that could cut through body armor, saying he yearned to “go hunting,” according to the outlet.
John seemingly endorsed the plan and expressed interest in joining his brother on the trip to Vegas, according to the report.
Authorities captured the pair at the Norfolk International Airport.
Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.
The brothers were each charged with one conspiracy to commit malicious wounding and were granted $25,000 bond on Thursday, <a href="https://www.wavy.com/news/crime/kempsville-high-school-assistant-principal-brother-arrested-for-threat-against-ice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to WAVY. While out of custody, the two must cut contact with each other and wear a GPS tracker.
The assistant principal has worked at the school district since 2009, according to ABC13. He is now on leave, school officials said.
“These allegations of violence against law enforcement, the very ones who protect and serve our communities, are incredibly alarming,” Virginia Beach Police Department Chief Paul W. Neudigate said in a statement.
ICE has faced a 1,000% surge in assaults since President Donald Trump returned to office and commenced a historic deportation operation across the country.
An anti-ICE shooter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/second-illegal-immigrant-detainee-dies-after-dallas-ice-shooting">opened fire</a> on an agency facility in Dallas in September, killing two detainees and himself.
At another North Texas ICE facility, a group of alleged <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-hits-antifa-with-very-first-terrorism-charges-in-anti-ice-attack">Antifa militants</a> lured agents outside by setting off fireworks on July 4 before spraying bullets in their direction. One of the alleged attackers shot a local police officer in the neck while hiding in the woods.

John Bennett

High School Principal Arrested For Allegedly Plotting To Attack ICE Agents

Crime

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Public Schools

U.S.

Virginia

California officials misled a federal judge about policies that hide students&#8217; &#8220;gender transitions&#8221; from parents at schools, bombshell documents uncovered by a legal firm appear to show.
On Monday, California officials will appear before U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez for a <a href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63d954d4e4ad424df7819d46/690e752307c0ae224314bd61_Dkt.%20294_ORDER%20-%20Show%20Cause%20RE%20Sanctions.pdf">show cause hearing</a> to provide evidence on why they shouldn’t be sanctioned for attempting to mislead the court about state policies that would prohibit parents from being informed about their children’s supposed &#8220;gender identity.&#8221; The hearing is the latest saga in a multi-year challenge to school policies adopted in California that teachers say would force them to lie to parents about students suffering from gender dysphoria. 
“We now have irrefutable evidence that the [California Department of Education] covertly moved these unconstitutional gender secrecy directives inside a password-protected training hidden away from public view, and distributed them to school districts statewide,” said Paul Jonna, a lawyer with the Thomas More Society. Jonna is representing two teachers, Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West, who sued the Escondido Union School District in 2023 over a policy that kept parents in the dark about their children&#8217;s so-called gender identity. 
The California Department of Education has argued that it should not be a party to the case because it claims not to have mandated parental exclusion. They claim that a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240113000622/https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/faqs.asp">frequently-asked-questions</a> page posted by the department has been edited to show that they do not mandate parental exclusion, and so there is no more cause for complaint. The FAQ page included a line that said &#8220;with rare exceptions, schools are required to respect the limitations that a student places on the disclosure of their transgender status, including not sharing that information with the student’s parents.&#8221;
While that guidance was deleted, policies that kept parents in the dark about their children were still promoted in statewide teacher trainings.
Lawyers for the Thomas More Society obtained training materials developed by the state that appear to prove just that. The materials were found in California’s PRISM <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/pl/prism.asp">framework</a>, which describes itself as “a six-course online training for certificated educators that provides resources to support LGBTQ+ youth.”
Currently, the materials are unavailable on the state’s <a href="https://prismcalifornia.org/home">website</a>, but the Thomas More Society included them in a court <a href="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63d954d4e4ad424df7819d46/6913872618ec89d3116895a5_Supplemental_Briefs_Mirabelli_Sanctions.pdf">filing</a>. They can be viewed on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5k2FLutwlQ">video</a> uploaded to YouTube. 
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1000987" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.01.46-PM-scaled.png" alt="" width="2560" height="1065" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.01.46-PM-scaled.png 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.01.46-PM-300x125.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.01.46-PM-1024x426.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.01.46-PM-768x319.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.01.46-PM-1536x639.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.01.46-PM-2048x852.png 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
Inside those materials is a section on “School Legal Responsibilities,&#8221; which it says includes mandates for “inclusive policies, respect for gender identity, anti-discrimination protections, and privacy rights.” It recommends and links to guidelines from the Our Family Coalition that say parents should be kept in the dark if they are not supportive.
“School staff must respect students’ right to privacy and may not affirmatively disclose a student’s LGBTQ status to others without the student’s permission,” the guidance from the San Francisco-based LGBT organization says. “Students have a right to privacy in personal information about their sexual orientation and gender identity, and outing students both at school or at home violates this right and also risks exposing students to harassment. If a student is not out at home, schools should offer them support for working towards family acceptance.”
<div id="attachment_1001005" style="width: 1652px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1001005" class="size-full wp-image-1001005" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.53.52-PM.png" alt="" width="1642" height="632" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.53.52-PM.png 1642w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.53.52-PM-300x115.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.53.52-PM-1024x394.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.53.52-PM-768x296.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-14-at-1.53.52-PM-1536x591.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1642px) 100vw, 1642px" />Our Family Coalition.</div>
The official teacher training also links to recommendations from the ACLU of Southern California that outline similar standards. 
“Generally, school staff cannot share information about your gender identity and sexual orientation without your permission, except under very limited circumstances, such as in case of an emergency,” the guidance says, adding that only in “limited circumstances” can school staff tell parents about their child’s gender identity. 
The PRISM training also linked to policies from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network that stated, “School staff shall not disclose any information that may reveal a student’s transgender status to others, including parents or guardians.&#8221;
Jonna said the evidence that California officials attempted to mislead Benitez is damning. 
“The State claimed in court that it had rescinded the gender secrecy directives we are challenging,” he said. “But we now have evidence of a coordinated, statewide campaign to enforce Parental Exclusion Policies. The State Defendants are attempting to knowingly mislead a Federal Court in order to evade judicial review and prejudice Plaintiffs and the Certified Class. This is one of the most egregious attempts I’ve seen — if not the most — to mislead a Court, and it warrants severe sanctions.”
Benitez will also consider the constitutionality of “parental exclusion policies&#8221; on Monday. He has certified the case as a class action lawsuit, meaning that it will apply to any parent or teacher who objects to California’s policies. Those policies were put forth in California Assembly Bill 1955, which was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, and prohibits local school districts from passing measures requiring teachers to inform parents about a student&#8217;s identity. 
Benitez, an appointee of President George W. Bush, already granted an injunction to Mirabelli and West back in 2023, protecting them from having to abide by the policy. 
Defendants in the case <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67279752/parties/mirabelli-v-olson/">include</a> Newsom, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, and gubernatorial candidate and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Bonta sued the Chino Valley Unified School District in August 2023 over a policy it implemented protecting parental rights to know how their children are identifying. 
Greg Burt, the vice president of the California Family Council, said that it appeared that the state was &#8220;scrambling&#8221; to hide its policies and that it looked like parents in the Golden State were going to pick up a win.
&#8220;We are very excited these two teachers, down in the San Diego area, stood up to the state and instead of just following what they were saying about keeping secrets they said they couldn&#8217;t do that,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Their decision to be brave is going to have a positive, hopefully a positive effect on the entire state.&#8221;

MixCollage-14-Nov-2025-01-47-PM-7796

California Officials Hid Truth About Secret Gender Transitions In Schools, Law Firm Says

California Officials Hid Truth About Secret Gender Transitions In Schools, Documents Show

California

Gavin Newsom

gender ideology

LGBT

Transgender

Students in one of Ohio’s largest school districts cannot be forced to use the preferred pronouns or acknowledge the gender identity of their trans-identifying classmates, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday.
The <a href="https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/25a0307p-06.pdf">112-page ruling</a> smacks down a policy put into place by the Olentangy Local School District that punished students for discrimination by referring to trans-identifying classmates by their “biological pronouns” or “using gendered language they know is contrary to the other student’s identity.” The district encompasses a suburban area just north of Columbus and is Ohio’s fourth-largest.
The court ruled that the policy raises “serious free-speech concerns.” The case was brought by the advocacy group Parents Defending Education — which now goes by Defending Education. The conservative group argued that the policy was unconstitutional and forced students to adopt speech that went against their religious beliefs. Numerous other conservative and religious groups, including Alliance Defending Freedom and the Manhattan Institute, signed an amicus brief opposing the school district’s policy.
In its ruling, the appeals court said that the school district “introduced no evidence that the use of biological pronouns would disrupt school functions or qualify as harassment under Ohio law.”
“Our society continues to debate whether biological pronouns are appropriate or offensive — just as it continues to debate many other issues surrounding transgender rights. The school district may not skew this debate by forcing one side to change the way it conveys its message or by compelling it to express a different view,” the court added in its ruling.
Defending Education argued that a rule requiring students “to affirm the idea that gender is fluid” would force them to go against their firmly held religious beliefs that “biological sex is immutable and that individuals cannot transition from one sex to another.” It further argued that Olentangy Local School District’s policy on pronouns sought to control students’ speech outside of classroom hours.
After the policy went into effect, a concerned parent of a “devoutly Christian child” emailed the district in 2023, asking about the rule on pronoun use. The school district told the parent, “A student purposefully referring to another student by using gendered language they know is contrary to the other student’s identity would be an example of discrimination under Board Policy.” That email exchange led to the lawsuit filed by Defending Education. The parent who sent the email is part of the conservative organization.
The court was divided in its ruling, with Circuit Judge Jane Stranch arguing that students could completely avoid using third-person pronouns if their faith doesn’t allow them to affirm a gender identity. Stranch wrote in her dissent, “First, while it may be a new phenomenon for many to use new pronouns or to avoid using pronouns, it is certainly possible.” To prove her point, the judge wrote her entire dissent without using “gendered third person pronouns” other than in quotations.
“Second, while there may be a learning curve for young students who, on occasion, might forget and use non-preferred pronouns, the District’s Policies prohibit only the intentional use of non-preferred pronouns,” Stranch added.
The U.S. appeals court decision came on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court issued a separate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/historical-fact-scotus-allows-trump-admin-to-require-passport-holders-to-mark-biological-sex">ruling</a> on gender and allowed the Trump administration to move forward with plans to require Americans to mark their biological sex on passports. In a 6-3 unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court froze a lower court’s order that stopped the Trump administration from removing the “X” gender option on passports.
“Displaying passport holders’ sex at birth no more offends equal protection principles than displaying their country of birth — in both cases, the Government is merely attesting to a historical fact without subjecting anyone to differential treatment,” the court wrote. “And on this record, respondents have failed to establish that the Government’s choice to display biological sex ‘lack[s] any purpose other than a bare … desire to harm a politically unpopular group.&#8217;”

Pronouns

School District Can’t Force Students To Use Preferred Pronouns Of Trans Classmates, Court Rules

Courts

Gender Pronouns

Ohio

Asylum Seeking Migrants Wait In Line For Immigration Customs Enforcement Appointments

Another Horrifying Reason We Need Mass Deportations Immediately

Islam

Leftists

Matt Walsh

Michigan

Minnesota

Muslims

Opinion

Schools

Somalia

In light of the recent loss of Charlie Kirk, we have to seriously reconsider the level of radical indoctrination in our <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/public-schools">public schools</a> — and not just at the collegiate level. The hostility that fueled such an attack doesn’t appear out of thin air. It begins in classrooms where children are taught to despise their country, question their God-given identity, and see their parents as obstacles rather than protectors. By the time students reach college, the soil has already been prepared by years of quiet but intentional indoctrination. The loss of Charlie should also serve as a rallying cry — a reminder of the price conservatives are paying in this cultural battle and the urgency to confront it head-on.
This is why the fight against gender ideology in our K–12 schools cannot wait. It is not a side issue or a distraction from “real politics.” It is the heart of the cultural crisis America faces. If children are trained from kindergarten to see themselves through the lens of gender theory rather than truth, faith, and family, then we should not be surprised when that worldview matures into radicalism, activism, and, eventually, violence.
For decades, conservatives assumed the worst indoctrination happened on college campuses. That was a mistake. Elementary schools are where the work begins — through school counselors, taxpayer-funded SEL programs, and activist-approved library shelves. Children are introduced to gender confusion long before they ever take an SAT or apply to a university. By the time they arrive on campus, the indoctrination is already deeply rooted.
Florida recognized this and acted decisively. In 2022, the state passed the Parental Rights in Education Act (<a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h1557er.docx&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=1557&amp;Session=2022">HB 1557</a>), banning classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. In 2023, lawmakers expanded the law to apply through eighth grade and specifically addressed the use of pronouns. The Florida Board of Education later broadened protections further to cover all K–12 grades. Additional bills like <a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h1069er.docx&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=1069&amp;Session=2023">HB 1069</a> reaffirmed that sex is biologically determined at birth, while <a href="https://www.flhouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_s0254er.DOCX&amp;DocumentType=Bill&amp;BillNumber=254&amp;Session=2023">SB 254</a> placed restrictions on gender-related medical interventions for minors.
What made this possible was the partnership of strong leadership at the top — Gov. Ron DeSantis and a conservative state school board — combined with parents pushing relentlessly from the bottom up. Importantly, the state school board did not wait for the legislature to act again; they used their authority to pass stronger policies when they saw the need. This kind of backbone is missing in school boards across the country, but it is the critical piece in reclaiming our public school systems. That partnership is the model every red state must follow if we want to preserve the innocence of children and the authority of parents.
Florida shows that the combination of political courage and grassroots activism can shift the culture of public schools. Parents had been voicing concerns for years about radical curricula, library materials, and counselors undermining parental authority. Instead of dismissing those voices, the leadership of Florida embraced them, amplifying the parents rather than silencing them. That is the blueprint. This bottom-up and top-down unity is what makes Florida distinct — and it is why conservative parents in other states look to Florida as proof that this fight can be won.
On the other end of the spectrum is California, where the guardrails are gone. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the SAFETY Act (<a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1955">AB 1955</a>), which allows schools to conceal a child’s new gender identity or pronouns from parents. San Diego schools have run classroom programs with books like <a href="https://www.iwfeatures.com/profile/controversy-erupts-in-california-school-district-over-radical-gender-ideology-in-classrooms/">My Shadow Is Pink</a>, asking fifth graders to guide kindergartners through gender-identity exercises without parental notification. And when teachers object on religious grounds — such as the Oakland kindergarten teacher fired for refusing to use pronouns that violated her conscience — the state sides with ideology, not faith or family.
California also recently lost more than $12 million in federal funding for refusing to strip “radical gender ideology” from its sex-education curriculum. Instead of correcting course, the state doubled down. This is the America our children will inherit if red states fail to act.
The danger in California isn’t limited to its own borders. Policies that begin there often spread nationwide through activist groups, teacher unions, and national curriculum providers. A book that appears in a Los Angeles classroom one year often shows up in a red-state district the next. Without strong protections, even conservative communities will find themselves importing California’s chaos. That is why the example of California should serve as both a warning and a motivator: if red states do not proactively legislate, they will be pulled in the same direction by cultural and institutional pressures.
President Trump recently issued an <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/24/2025-01567/removing-radical-gender-ideology-from-federally-funded-education-programs">executive order</a> directing the removal of radical gender ideology from federally funded education programs. That is an important step — but executive orders are temporary. What one president does, the next can undo. And without strong state-level laws, even Trump’s order cannot stop what continues to happen in liberal states like California, where ideology is embedded in classrooms regardless of federal guidance.
That’s why red states must codify protections into permanent law. And they must add accountability measures with real teeth:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Immediate removal from the classroom if teachers or counselors push gender ideology in violation of the law.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Revocation of teaching licenses so offenders cannot simply move districts or cross state lines to continue indoctrinating children.</li>
</ul>
Parents deserve more than symbolism — they deserve action. Conservative lawmakers must remember that parents are not asking for suggestions or guidelines — they are demanding laws that protect their rights and their children. Laws without accountability are empty. A policy without enforcement is a wish list. If red states want to be serious, they need to back up their words with actions that make the cost of violating parental rights unacceptably high.
Conservative states now have both the opportunity and the obligation to act. Parents are fleeing states like California in search of places where their children can be raised in safety, truth, and faith. Red states must be those safe havens. That means more than political slogans — it means codifying into law the protections families need to preserve faith-based values and the authority of parents.
If conservatives fail here, the exodus from blue states will only accelerate, but families will arrive to find that their “safe haven” is just another battleground. Conservative parents are looking for states where school boards act decisively, legislatures put children first, and governors refuse to bend to woke corporations or activist lobbies. They want leaders who will not only defend but advance the values of family, faith, and freedom.
Red states across the country now have the opportunity and the backing of parents — and if legislators refuse, they should be replaced with leaders who will. The loss of Charlie has only deepened conservatives’ resolve, reminding us of the urgency and the cultural impact of his fight.
The line is clear: pass laws protecting children from gender ideology with real accountability, and pass them first — or prepare to face a reckoning at the ballot box. Our children are not bargaining chips. They are the future of America, and they deserve to be defended. Until states pass binding protections, even Trump’s executive order cannot shield families from the spread of radical ideology in liberal states — making state action urgent and non-negotiable.
* * *
Emily Jones is a mother, community organizer, and candidate for the Alabama State Board of Education. Known as “The Controversial Mom,” she advocates for parental rights, faith-based values, and stronger accountability in public schools.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-25-Sep-2025-09-06-AM-6432

Why Red States Must Crush Gender Ideology In The Classroom

Activists

Education

Elementary Schools

Gender

High School

Parental Rights in Education

Students

Teachers

During the summer months, educators across the country flock to professional development conferences, often on the taxpayers’ dime. These events are supposed to sharpen the instructional skills of teachers and equip them with new methods for helping students succeed, addressing real challenges of education, such as declining test scores, reading comprehension, and math proficiency.
But as Defending Education’s analysis of the programming shows, what actually dominates these conferences is not literacy strategies or math interventions.
Instead, the recurring themes are race, social justice, gender, activism, and equity. From English to math, and from history to science, the same ideological buzzwords surface again and again. It’s little wonder parents are concerned, or that the nation has grown more politically divided.
Take the National Education Association (NEA), the country’s largest teachers union. At its <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/555fe259-c382-4f14-87b0-319c288f9e68/websitePage:83a0a9c7-c495-4fe0-ad95-5eb99de3dbc2">Conference on Racial and Social Justice</a> in Portland this summer, activism, not academics, took center stage.
Unions like the NEA make no effort to hide their contempt for Donald Trump and the values of his supporters. At its annual Representative Assembly, the union <a href="https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/20250706-ratoday-issue-5.pdf">approved business items</a> labeling Trump’s agenda as “fascist” and opposing efforts to eliminate the Department of Education, which it called racist and anti-democratic. In direct response to a Supreme Court decision (Mahmoud v. Taylor) affirming religious parents’ rights to opt their children out of LGBTQ curricula, the NEA allocated $209,000 to push back and expand LGBTQ advocacy in schools. In total, the NEA committed more than $340,000 <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/national-education-association-approves-business-items-accusing-president-trump-of-fascism-and-authoritarianism-opposing-supreme-court-ruling-and-not-using-adl-materials/">toward initiatives</a> designed to counter conservative policies.
This union-driven activism is not confined to Portland. Across the country, teachers are being coached to use classrooms as platforms for reshaping opinions on society’s most sensitive issues. Students are not simply taught about history or literature; they are encouraged to become activists themselves. The worldview behind this approach borrows heavily from Marxist theory, framing society as an endless struggle between oppressors and the oppressed. That lens is being embedded into lesson plans, teacher training, and classroom culture, gradually shifting education away from its original purpose — academic instruction — toward political reeducation.
The sessions at NEA’s conference illustrate this shift. One workshop, “Building Narrative Power for Education Justice,” trained teachers to use storytelling to fight “anti-truth” and anti-LGBTQ legislation. Another warned about “White Christian nationalist forces” allegedly exploiting pan-Asian communities. Additional sessions covered “racial battle fatigue,” blurred lines between racism and ableism, and framed climate change as disproportionately harming communities of color, women, and students with disabilities. One even linked the MAGA movement to Jim Crow and Native land theft. Teachers were urged to affirm transgender student identities, disrupt curriculum challenges, and fight political opponents under the banner of education justice.
The conference also promoted the <a href="https://custom.cvent.com/820B5689CD804AEAA83FC39F9FBC8CD3/files/0a702792cebf4a3ea1c9b294c6c985b5.pdf">NEA’s pronoun guide</a>, which encourages teachers to adopt nontraditional pronouns such as ze, zir, zirs, and zirself, and to display their own pronouns as a sign of being a “safe person.” Misgendering, teachers were told, is itself a form of marginalization.
While parents worry about declining math and reading scores, union-sponsored trainings are focused on dismantling ableism, confronting White Christian nationalism, and embedding queer theory into K–12 classrooms. These are not the priorities of most American families, but within the union bubble, they are treated as urgent and non-negotiable. 
And it’s not just the NEA. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) filled its 2024 <a href="https://s1.goeshow.com/ncte/annual/2024/conference_program_sessions.cfm">conference with sessions</a> such as “Disrupting the Canon with LGBTQIA+ Themes,” “Queer and Trans-Affirming Education,” and “Antiracist Pedagogy Workshop.”
In a perfect example encapsulating how this ideology makes its way into the classroom, one teacher at a school district in New York <a href="https://www.jecsd.org/districtpage.cfm?pageid=3211">reframed Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”</a> as a “cli-fi,” or climate fiction text, using the play as a vehicle to teach climate change.
Math education has not been spared either. <a href="https://www.nctm.org/atlanta2025/">The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’</a> (NCTM) <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/the-national-council-of-teachers-of-mathematics-2025-annual-meeting-features-sessions-on-black-feminist-mathematics-pedagogy-antiracist-math-equitable-grading-social-justice-and-whiteness/">2024 conference</a> features sessions on antiracist math, whiteness, and social justice.
One session, <a href="https://www.aievolution.com/ntm2501/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&amp;ev=1951">Reflecting on My Whiteness</a>, describes math itself as a “white, patriarchal space” and offers strategies to “confront the oppressive forces of whiteness” and “dismantle inequitable practices” in the classroom. <a href="https://www.aievolution.com/ntm2501/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&amp;ev=2046">Another highlights</a> how black women in math education “disrupt systems of oppression” and center “Black Girl Joy.” A third, <a href="https://www.aievolution.com/ntm2501/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&amp;ev=1930">Democracy and Data</a>, claims math should be used to advance democratic participation through a social justice lens.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) follows the same script. At its <a href="https://web.cvent.com/event/b256b940-7874-4081-a4af-34edc50fd735/summary">July conference</a>, sessions focused on “racial harm,” “LGBTQIA+ allyship,” climate activism, and “mass mobilization training.” Teachers were also told to resist curriculum oversight as a political attack. In one session, the AFT admitted the obvious: the pandemic had a “devastating effect” on student literacy.
Yet, the same union that now bemoans literacy loss was a key player in lobbying to keep schools closed during COVID, a decision that fueled the very learning setbacks reflected in the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores. Despite <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Elementary_and_Secondary_School_Emergency_Relief_%28ESSER%29_funding_by_state?utm_">$190 billion</a> in federal COVID-19 relief funds, the data indicate a failing K–12 education system.
Meanwhile, many educators are turning to <a href="https://defendinged.org/ethnicstudies/">ethnic studies</a>, often presented through a victim–oppressor lens. The radical ethnic studies group, Xicanx Institute for Teaching and Organizing (XITO), held a <a href="https://www.xicanxinstitute.org/summer-2025">2024 Summer Institute</a> that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/xitotucson/p/DKk82TWSPMe/">promoted</a> “decolonial popular education” and urged educators to view teaching as a political weapon. Its sessions featured activists tied to <a href="https://www.ethnicstudiespedagogies.org/gallery/07%20-%20TIAHUI%20-%20A%20Decolonial%20Framework.pdf">anti-Western and antisemitic rhetoric</a>, with the explicit goal of uniting street activism and classroom instruction. And yes, school districts are footing the bill with taxpayer dollars for teachers to attend.
The common thread across these trainings is the glorification of victimhood and activism, with teachers encouraged to turn students into activists for leftist causes. Rather than instilling confidence and agency, this mindset risks fostering learned helplessness, where students believe success is unattainable without intervention.
Summer training conferences are less about improving learning outcomes and more about transforming classrooms into engines of political activism — serving unions and activist groups, but leaving behind the very students schools are meant to serve.
* * *
Kendall Tietz is an investigative reporter for Defending Education.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-18-Sep-2025-09-53-AM-6641

The Public School Activist Pipeline: ‘A Joyous Rebellion’

Anti-Racism

Equity

LGBTQ

National Education Association

Teachers Unions

WASHINGTON—The Education Department is partnering with a coalition of private organizations to revive civics education in American public schools and on college campuses, Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced today.
The America 250 Civics Education Coalition “is dedicated to renewing patriotism, strengthening civic knowledge, and advancing a shared understanding of America’s founding principles in schools across the nation,” the coalition said in a press release.
McMahon officially launched the coalition at an event in the nation’s capital on Wednesday — Constitution Day — alongside coalition partners from the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, Hillsdale College, and more.
&#8220;Civic knowledge, engagement, and constitutional literacy among our youth — I&#8217;m going to say it&#8217;s in decline, but I could almost say it is absent,&#8221; McMahon said at the event, adding that she&#8217;s been &#8220;dismayed&#8221; by &#8220;the lack of enthusiasm for our country&#8221; she&#8217;s encountered at schools across America.
&#8220;Why don&#8217;t these young people love America?&#8221; she asked. &#8220;Because they don&#8217;t know America.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to restore this love of patriotism,&#8221; she added. &#8220;We have a president who takes the flag and hugs it! Let&#8217;s see if we can&#8217;t bring back that spirit of love and devotion to our country.&#8221;
The America 250 Civics Education Coalition “will unveil a robust programming agenda” in the coming year, including a “Fundamental Liberties College Speaker Series” that will bring speakers to all 50 states and “The Trail to Independence Tour,” a K-12-focused guide to how each state joined the union.
The group also aims to foster civic engagement in schools by distributing toolkits to teachers and honoring students with “a competition recognizing student knowledge of American history.”
The coalition builds on the Trump administration’s efforts to promote traditional civics education in the United States. President Donald Trump, in his first term, launched the 1776 Commission, a response to The New York Times’ revisionist 1619 Project.
“Rather than learning to hate one’s country or the world for its inevitable wrongs, the well-educated student learns to appreciate and cherish the oases of civilization,” the 1776 Commission wrote in its <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-Presidents-Advisory-1776-Commission-Final-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final report</a>. “In the American context, an essential purpose of this honest approach is to encourage citizens to embrace and cultivate love of country.”
Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn, a member of the 1776 Commission, said at Wednesday&#8217;s event that America was currently engaged in its third great crisis, following the American Revolution and the Civil War.
All three crises shared the same central feature, Arnn noted: &#8220;We&#8217;re fighting about the meaning of our central idea.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re in a crisis because there&#8217;s a disagreement about the purpose of the Declaration of Independence today,&#8221; Arnn said. The Hillsdale president stressed that education, not conflict, will solve the problem.
&#8220;Charlie Kirk was murdered,&#8221; Arnn said, recalling his fellow 1776 Commission member who was assassinated one week ago. &#8220;They killed him. It didn&#8217;t settle anything.&#8221;
Kirk&#8217;s memory hung over Wednesday&#8217;s event, and the late activist was invoked by several speakers, including TPUSA&#8217;s Chief Education Officer, Hutz Hertzberg.
&#8220;We believe that though Charlie had an incredible influence,&#8221; Hertzberg said, &#8220;his influence will extend in even greater ways than it did in his life.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s why this partnership is so important. By locking arms together, we can do more to accomplish the very things that Charlie stood for.&#8221;
Erika Donalds, one of the commission&#8217;s co-chairs and wife of Florida Congressman Byron Donalds (R.), noted that the coalition aims to snuff out violent attitudes among American youth.
&#8220;If our students truly understood the Constitution of the United States, they would never think that violence is the answer,&#8221; she said.
More than 40 groups have joined the coalition, including the Heritage Foundation, the American Principles Project, PragerU, and the Claremont Institute.
In bolstering classroom efforts, the civics coalition aims to boost patriotism across the country. Just 58% of Americans say they are &#8220;extremely&#8221; or &#8220;very proud&#8221; to be an American, according to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/692150/american-pride-slips-new-low.aspx">recent Gallup poll</a> — a record low.
Reversing this trend has been a major focus of President Trump&#8217;s second term. In addition to reviving the 1776 Commission, which President Joe Biden shuttered shortly after taking office, the president has ordered the Smithsonian and all taxpayer-funded museums to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-gut-wokeness-from-our-museums-we-are-not-going-to-allow-this">eliminate</a> &#8220;woke&#8221; exhibits, lamenting last month that the Smithsonian is solely focused on &#8220;how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been,&#8221; with &#8220;nothing about success, nothing about brightness, nothing about the future.&#8221;
Greg Sindelar, Interim President and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, noted that new AFPI polling found that 73% of Americans believe their children aren&#8217;t getting a good civics education, while 93% say all Americans do not know enough about their history. That ignorance, Sindelar said, is directly responsible for the rise in anti-American sentiments among the populace.
&#8220;To know America is to love her,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is the real purpose of what this coalition is doing.&#8221;
&#8220;Together we are making history and we are teaching history,&#8221; he added. &#8220;To remember who we are, and what America is.&#8221;
In his remarks, Arnn stressed that actually reading the Founding documents and writings of the men who built this country is &#8220;the exercise we have to go through today if we are to recover ourselves.&#8221;
&#8220;We are going to lose our nation if we lose its central idea,&#8221; Arnn said. &#8220;And therefore there is no more urgent work, no more work dispositive of the future, than to read, and celebrate, and learn about&#8221; the Declaration of Independence and the tradition of American liberty.
&#8220;Learning and freedom go together, and ignorance and slavery go together,&#8221; Arnn added. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to choose one of those pairs.&#8221;
Donalds was optimistic that the coalition would ensure America chooses the former pair, saying the group&#8217;s ultimate goal is &#8220;to ensure that our children, our grandchildren, and generations to come are able to have this same celebration of pride in America at its 500th anniversary, 250 years from now.&#8221;

First Lady Melania Trump Hosts White House Task Force On AI Education

Trump Education Department Partners With TPUSA, Hillsdale College To Revive Civics Education

Charlie Kirk

Hillsdale College

Linda McMahon

Trump Administration

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

School Choice

South Carolina

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'

Colonialism

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

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