THE HEAT IS ON

It wasn’t too long ago when school board meetings discussed student success, teacher performance, and keeping buildings and budgets in good shape.

But COVID masking requirements elicited an ugly side of civic engagement. A new movement that used bullying tactics, name-calling, and “alternative facts” overrode any civil discourse and actual science, harming students, teachers, and school staff, and tearing apart communities.

Sadly, the decline of COVID hasn’t lessened the continued assault on our schools.

Bullying, name-calling, and alternative facts are in play again at school board meetings but not about masking. Now agitators are using these same despicable strategies to bring in high-paid consultants, impose a nationalist American history curriculum, whitewash the library shelves, and inflict a “Big Brother is watching” atmosphere on LGBTQ students.

All the while, the usual functions of the school board and important conversations about achievement and facilities get sidelined. For instance, the Central Bucks School District – a hot zone of upheaval – chose to spend taxpayer dollars on a 40% raise for the superintendent, a partner in crime with the ultraconservative board. Perhaps that’s why they didn’t have money to put air conditioning in their schools, nine of which had to close during this week’s heatwave.

It’s time to stop the madness on campus. Support the Children First Action Fund.

The Children First Action Fund, Children First’s electoral partner, is gearing up to get voters in southeastern Pennsylvania out to vote in school board races this November through candidate questionnaires, campaign mailers, and talking with voters one-on-one. The Action Fund has run successful voter engagement campaigns over the past three election cycles – and many more candidates are now in office working to improve children’s lives and opportunities.

Let’s take board meetings back to a more civil and productive time, but not as far back as the 1950s. Give to the Children First Action Fund today and make it possible for voters to have the information they need to bring commonsense, leadership, and a focus on student success and happiness back to our schools.

*This message is paid for by the Children First Action Fund.