Editor’s Note: This is an opinion column.
By Paul DeMarco
A recent announcement in Alabama is a good sign for education in Alabama.
The Alabama Association of School Boards did not recently renew their membership with their federal partner after the national group termed some parents “domestic terrorists” and asked President Joe Biden to get involved in local school boards. The furor across the Nation brought criticism and even hearings before Congress.
Alabama is one of seventeen state associations that have left the national association. One of the reasons is that parents in our state have become vocal and more active in protecting their kids.
The state group also had long-standing concerns with the National School Board Association and their commitment to local control of school board decisions, particularly important to Alabama parents.
Families in Alabama are looking to take back school systems from liberals in academia who are trying to push their agendas on vulnerable students. We have recently seen parents becoming more active in their local systems and expect that to continue into 2022. Leaving the national organization will give the Alabama association credibility when advocating for school board requests before state representatives and senators.
Alabama’s School Board Association rightly left the national board and reflected the parents’ will and local school boards in the state.
While K-12 schools in our state see more involvement by parents to ensure schools are focused on education, what the state now needs is parents and state leaders to look at Alabama universities and colleges. Many of our state institutions of higher learning and their faculty appear to be more focused on progressive issues than academics. Alabama leaders are seeing this and hearing from their constituents. Thus, you will see lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session address some of these issues going on in higher education.
The real question is this a blip on the radar, or is this part of a bigger trend in the state to reign in those who want to put ideology above educating state students.
Time will tell.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives.