AMAC Exclusive – by Ben Martin
Country music has dispensed some prescient wisdom over the years.
Tim McGraw sensibly reminded us to “be humble and kind,” Rodney Atkins implored the downtrodden that if they are, “going through hell, keep on going,” and Lee Brice put theology to a tune when he sang, “don’t let your praying knees get lazy.”
All great advice. There’s nothing like three chords and the truth to inspire some good decisions.
But maybe the best advice for parents right now, at least when it comes to dealing with the abject failure of public schooling, comes from the great Kenny Rogers.
With the metaphorical muzzling of traditional family values, the literal muzzling of kids with mandatory masks, critical race theory invading classrooms, militant leftist politics, removing the American flag, and now in Oregon the complete elimination of any academic standards, Kenny crooned some wise words all concerned parents should take to heart.
“You got to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.”
What has become incredibly clear is that many public schools – government schools – are a “train bound for nowhere.”
The movement to fight back against school closures and radical leftist ideology being taught in schools is inspiring. Seeing parents and teachers in Virginia and other states rise up to speak at government school board meetings and watching former NFL players lining up to run for government school boards is admirable. They are putting their cards on the table – playing their best hand.
But just watch the faces of those government school board members hearing the speeches. They aren’t moved. Sadly, it’s pretty clear that, as Kenny’s lyrics put it, we “know what the cards are by the way they held their eyes.”
They are patiently—and sometimes impatiently—waiting for those impassioned parents to sit down so that the schools can go right back to indoctrinating their children. Those government officials running the government schools have been here before, when they ended prayer in schools, when they stopped teaching the Bible, and as they continue to push schools to allow biological boys into the girls’ locker rooms.
The Gambler’s advice is sad, but wise. Fighting on their turf is a losing proposition, and those who want their kids to learn academics instead of social justice in school just don’t have the cards.
Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. There is “an ace that we can keep.”
It’s time to “know when to run.”
That time is now.
In many school districts, there is no passionate viral speech, no school board seat, no poster board protest that is going to turn the tide in the foreseeable future.
It is time to take action though – for many parents who object to the content being taught in public schools, it is time to take our children, the most precious resource there is, and repatriate them to a real American education.
Send the kids somewhere else to learn. Or just keep them home. Homeschooling is at an all-time high in North Carolina, up almost 40 percent since 2016.
Thankfully, huge numbers of Americans around the country are making the wise decision to flee the failed government institutions, and many won’t look back.
By all means, concerned citizens should continue to fight to change the culture of education in America. But that could be a very long fight indeed. Don’t continue to subject your kids to the brainwashing in the meantime.
And for those parents and kids who live in liberal states without good non-government school options, maybe it’s time to listen to some Waylon Jennings and head for Luckenbach, Texas. Or head to the land of the free somewhere near the Florida-Georgia line where Governor DeSantis has extended the state’s school voucher program.
For many parents fed up with their local government school, it’s past time to fold or walk away, it’s time to run.
Ben Martin is the pen name of a commentator who previously worked in government and has worked in public policy for over a decade. He has testified before congress on several occasions, as well as before many state legislative committees, on domestic policy issues.
AMAC? People just stopped commenting on this. They just click on negative comment! Do you even watch any of the replies? Do you even care?
Closed school reuses by Locale sited by Local needs:
o Urgicenter
o Clinic
o Housing
o Voc Tech Ed center
o TV & Movie production
o Gun Range, archery
o Services center
o Arts gallery
o Museum
o Business seedbed
o Local Home school play area for suburbs sited in
o Tesla Center
o EV Charging Center.
If these schools are closed, why are we paying taxes for this? This is what we should be fighting for.
A great article,certainly worth considering a better way to educate children and stop the communist,hateful ,racist rhetoric of the left!
Those so called leaders ofaround the world making wrong right and right wrong. Steering us all to the UN’s NWO carry the mark of the beast. Stand strong in Christ and be assured they will cower in the end.
There are families whose parents have to work outside the home. One solution is for several families who agree together on standards to get together and keep one parent for maybe 5 children to help with home schooling (everyone else goes to work). This would be a return to the one room school house of many years ago. Older children can help younger children (they just haven’t been given a chance). We have to do something for the children who need to learn right now (before school boards realize there is something to consider besides federal funding of their common core schools.)
One day home schooling will be against the law. Govt. schools only. Suprised they havn’t started it allready. Kyle L.
Government (public) schools=indoctrination camps/brainwashing centers…not hyperbole in the least. 100% FACT.
Additionally, there is NO WAY conservatives should be donating to their alma maters any longer. They have become sewers teaching nothing but communist activism, with zero tolerance for alternative views. Again…FACT.
If I were a young parent of today, there is no way that I would send my child/children to a public school. If I could not afford a GOOD private school, they would be homeschooled. The public schools of my time are no longer teaching what I was taught.
If nothing else, the Plandemic has helped parents to open their eyes as to what is/was being taught in their children’s classrooms…These past ( 18 ) months have been a real eye opener & now these schools, teachers & board of education members are in TOTAL defensive posture, as stated in this article, look at their eyes wearing those Halloween masks, all they want is for you to shut up & sit down, NOT…
Bill on the Hill… :~)
I agree. Parents do whatever you have to get your kids out of the public school system!
Teachers do not run the school systems, the local boards do. Demand action from the school boards or get rid of them. Any place I have lived, these boards are elected. Sad part is that these elected socialists are put in office by parents and people who just check a box on a ballot. There is no research on qualifications. If the socialist teachers don’t like it, they can move to Oregon or someplace they will be happy teaching their crap. PARENTS are the key. They (kids) are your responsibility and nations future.
Public School Education = Government Indoctrination! . . . Never thought I would be saying that, BUT IT IS NOW TRUE! ! !
And it’s ALL being brought about and led by Today’s Progressively Communist wannabe Democratic Party! We will ALL BE DOOMED unless the Red States band together and secede from the Indoctrination of the Communist-run Blue States and form a Coalition of Red State Republics! Even the threat of doing so might be enough to “derail” these Commies because they know full well they will quickly fail without the taxable income from the more soluble Red States.
I may live in California but I would soon move to Texas in a heartbeat if necessary.
Democratic Governors such as Tom Wolf of PA mandate what the public schools are allowed to do. We should get some conservative folks on the school boards but eventually there will be no control by local school boards and parents. The teachers union heads are on board with the Democrats who have an agenda to pour more money into the school systems and teacher salaries regardless of results. What’s good for the children and what parents believe is no longer a concern to the progressives, it’s all about their agenda. We did Christian school and home schooling many years ago. Glad we did.
One of the reasons they haven’t closed down home schooling is that the school system gets paid for educating your child even if they never see your child. One of our children never attended 1 day of public school but I estimate the school system received $80,000 or more over the years.
Hello??? Why not RECRUIT TRUSTED SENIOR CITIZENS??? Here in NYC I frequent some senior centers (or at least I used to pre-COVID there must be some among them who would be willing at least to teach the lower grades. I ask myself “Is it possible to defund the Board of Education”? Personally my degree(s? hs BA) actually never served me on the job. Shouldn’t Education be more focused on promoting better human relations particularly in communication? Strengthening and understanding better first of all FAMILY AUTHORITY THEN teachers.. In the end it seems they are indoctrinated to teach children to disguise their sinfulness among other issues.. I’m coming from Catholic elementary but I don’t see that there’s a big difference in public education. In short an appreciation for CRITICAL thinking and developing a balanced conscience not fearful of SELF CRITICISM and analysis.
Kids had not been educated for the past 50 years
For the sake of the future for the children, I wish schools would just return to teaching the BASICS. Reading, Writing, Spelling, Mathmatics/Arithmatic, Real American History, Civics, and put down the screens and let kids use that imagination and PLAY. I am so Thankful I raided my children back when schools were actually teaching things they needed to get by in life. Between that and a Solid base in Christianity and home training in manners, I have 3 successful well rounded professionals for children.
THAT is how the current MESS in this Country’s schools gets fixed correctly. It takes good parent cooperation and a School system not spewing CRT and teaching hate to pull it off. If strong Biblical principles are followed at home at least those babies have a chance when faced with bad things. At least they will KNOW right from wrong.
We sacrificed plenty to avoid public schools for our three sons. Mac N Cheese four nights a week, no new vehicles, $700 / month to pay tuition (while paying public school taxes), very few vacations. But they were educated with our beliefs and values. All three finished college without costing us a dime and without any debt. All three are employed Engineers. If you value your children, and ultimately this Nation, find a way to cut the legs out from under the Teacher Unions, and remove your children from the public system. The article is 100% correct, run from the indoctrination system which are our public schools. Find a way. Are YOUR children not worth it?
Nothing to do with article but wondering where my God Bless America Bible is?
The minute that public schools stopped teaching History, and started teaching Politics they began indoctrinating our children, this all started in the middle to late 1960s. It first started in the Colleges and Universities, with the likes of human waste Timothy Leary and people like him, he and others like him that followed, taught the current Crap Educators. Civics was replaced with a Socialist view of utopia, and that America is not an exceptional Country.
We have aloud our schools to Demean our Founding Fathers and sexist and racist, worthy of little or no respect. A once great nation is suffering because of our public school system that is little more than a political extension of the Democrat Party.
GOD HELP US!
Yes,
The heart of the whole issue is our teachers are being taught and certified at a liberal college or university, we do not have teachers who are not liberal and we have the Teachers Union and Teachers associations running the train to nowhere. In this present age, it is like you have to gamble at the casinos where winning is in the odds making. The article is right, it is time to let your feet do the running while there is still a place to run to. There are states where the child can still get a great education, but you have to still contend with the power to be, as the ‘social services’ will force you to either go to a government school or lose your children.
Yes, it’s past time really. Years ago, Rush Limbaugh talked about the dumbing down of America and now we see it’s happened! May the Lord have mercy on us all!
If I had kids of school age I would be home schooling. Our public schools have gone from teaching our children the 3Rs to teachers giving their personal opinions on today’s problems!
I can appreciate everyone bringing to light all of the stuff which is happening to our country, schools, Government, and other areas. It seems just bad news all the time! When is there going to be a real plan to remove all of this???? Tired of hearing how our country is going to He!! in a hand basket and we are all to stupid on how to fix or stop this. Who is really behind all of this anyway. I have spent hours attempting to find a way to fight back with others however it appears it is going to take someone or some organization to fix all of this
This entire pandemic has allowed us all to See the true EVIL intentions of the haters of America and it’s constitutional freedoms that we all have , this opportunity has allowed the elites and far left socialist party to lie and steal everything. Our commander and chief did not win a fair and honest election and we all know this including our president (the demented fool admitted it several times) This was a well thought out strategy on the woke lefts part to destroy everything while they have the Opportunity to, never ever let an opportunity go to waste! Millions of Covid and diseased stricken human beings from everywhere are now entering our country and being transported to very specific ares throughout our country (to get votes only , they could care less about the cumulative damages being done in the short and long term to our great country. Teachers union should be shut down for the betrayal and distain they have for the children of our country! Just imagine all this not to mention out of control inflation and national security implications with our borders wide open , and all of our allies now questioning our alliance with them? This is only a few huge problems with this administration I could go on for days with this disaster! God bless and help us all.
This is a great article & I love the analogies with country music But, I strongly advise against shutting down and stopping govt.schools. First: Home or private schooling do not fit the schedule of parents who are working & cannot afford to do this. SECOND: There is a lot more to public schools such as making friends, learning rules & discipline, chance to participate in school activities, and more chances to view the world events, and list goes on. Just fix the schools, so that you get an education like America had from 1950-1980 & make you proud to be American.
Agree, but I doubt teachers are teaching students to be immoral. These kids are getting it from other sources like internet, movies, TV, etc. Do not forget that one of Communist Goals in 1950s was to destroy family values & morality in any country they could.
Great article, well written. I’m almost 70 so way back to first grade back in the 1950’s, I was given a several page form for my parents to fill out and sign. As a 6 year old child, I didn’t understand what it was all about, but schools were requesting Federal Funding to make education better. My Mom wrote across the first page of that for in big, block letters “Keep the federal government OUT of our schools.” She knew what would happen to education! Any time you get funding from the government they have the right to dictate what you do with every penny. So “we” got ourselves into this, now we need to provide true factual education!
The public school system has given me a good education & some of the best times and memories of my life. Do not get rid of public schools, just fix them.
Looks like we have to “tear down and build better” when it comes to all kinds of cultural institutions, starting with the public education system. It’s a dinosaur anyway. Charter schools seem to have the best chance to do this, although they aren’t perfect. Republicans must make school choice a key tenet of their platform and we must support those candidates who will fight for this!
Between the Weak Lefty Government and the Lefty Teacher’s Union many of our traditional family values have been kicked to the curb. What is wrong with focusing on Reading, Writing and Math. The government and Teachers seem to be on track to force parents into their Socialist indoctrination of our children and grandchildren regardless of parental concerns. Defund and Dismantle the corrupt teacher’s union now and kick out the traitor Governmental officials now. It’s time!
It’s not just Public Schools we need to be leary of. We need to be wary of what our young people, pre kindergarten and up are watching on TV and at the theaters.
I was watching TV this morning…Kelly and Michael of all things, and they had as one of their guest on the show some Hollyweird bimbo type promoting her latest animated children’s film that she was staring in/lending her voice to. When Kelly ask her to tell them what her character was like in this film, she went on to tell how the pony she was lending her voice to was and activist, all inclusive pony that wanted to change the old establishment and get rid of all the backward evil ponies and make their domain safe for all ponies.
Sounds like brainwashing at an early age to me.
This “Education Failure” in Public Schools did not start yesterday! It started back in the 1960’s! It’s NOT going to be fixed overnight, but, it IS fixable! BUT(!), we NEED to DO SOMETHING about this RIGHT NOW, if we are to have any hope for future generations of American youth! Time for some realistic, HARD ACTIONS, and, the longer we wait, the harder it will be to accomplish! Thank you, Mr. Khrushchev…
Using public schools and controlling staff and teaching content is already to some slight extent in some places being practiced. If the DemoncRAts continue to RULE the Nation, that will be increased greatly to enhance the Communistic control the DamnocRats will empower to insure that the Communist propaganda and control is solidly in place. It seems that the DemCommieRats already have a throat hold on the News Media….. to me it seems.
I wholeheartedly agree. It is time to move away from the current public educational system the CCP infested government promoting. However, we must remember that these parents have been programmed by the Deep State for two or three generations and may not be equipped to educate their children properly. If you plan to educate by “home schooling” I believe you should be sure you get some training from some legitimate teachers, those who are actually for the USA. We have a lot to do to undo the damage these idiots have caused with their CCP/Anti-USA policies and destructive agitprop. Good luck to all of you that wish to get back our country!!
Hmm. The public schools have failed our children. The teachers unions are a disgrace to the Nation. They want money money more money and power. They DO NOT care about the kids!
The kids are pawns in their sick demands!
When the (puppet) dictator came into power I immediately began researching history books ranging from picture books through to high school. I needed to get the history books quickly before our written history was changed. I chose 7 books encompassing that age range. They are for my grandchildren. I presently only have one 14-month grandson, but confident will be more. They will all be homeschooled, for as long as possible. One daughter was a preschool instructor, another has 2 degrees and I have 15 years of higher education and 3 degrees under my belt so we have a lot to share. But the most important thing was to get true, unviolated, educational material for our future. I pray there are multitudes of patriots that will also bring proper education and true history to their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.
The progressive movement in public education is not new. It started roughly 100 years ago. Running from the system enables it to become even more extreme.
Involvement in the leadership of public education is critically important.
Get to know your local school board. Run for school board.
Transparency is a first key issue. What does your local public school curriculum include? Look at all of it. Talk about all of it. Publicly.
The progressive movement invested fortunes and careers for generations organized effort to become dominant in public education.
Turn around probably can’t be quick or easy, but engagement is critical.
Years ago my older son asked me to collect old history books and will them to him. I’ve been doing this for longer than when he asked me. My 4 children have all taught their children the truth about history and the meaning of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. I can only hope that they will continue and teach their children the same. At least they will have access to real history books!