James Harvey, leader of the National Superintendents Roundtable, reported that federal authorities will investigate violent threats made against school personnel and school boards in response to mask mandates. Stories in the Washington Post and elsewhere have demonstrated that some of the groups harassing educators and school boards about masking and “critical race theory” are funded by the Koch Network and other rightwing foundations and are intended to sow chaos and discredit public schools.
AP picks up Roundtable report on superintendents quitting
The Roundtable’s report on superintendents’ stress amidst the pandemic has received widespread attention. The Associated Press picked up the press release describing the report, which was initially distributed by Cision (PR Newswire). Within 48 hours of the distribution of the press release, Cision estimated that it had been distributed to 84 major outlets with a potential viewing audience of 122 million people. The outlets included Business Insider and AP, which in turn distributed the release to 963 different outlets, including C-SPAN, CBS News Radio, the New York Times and the Washington Post. Download the report at the link above. By all means share it with your colleagues and via your social media.
NSBA asks the Feds for help
It’s unprecedented. In the last week, the National School Boards Association (NSBA), the group that represents school boards and school board members around the country, asked the White House for federal assistance to investigate and stop threats against school boards by citizens incensed about school pandemic policies, such as mask mandates. The association likened the vitriol experienced by some of its members to a form of domestic terrorism. According to a story filed by Carolyn Thompson of the Associated Press, “The request by the National School Boards Association demonstrates the level of unruliness that has engulfed local education meetings across the country during the pandemic, with board members regularly confronted and threatened by angry protesters.”
Justice Department to look into violent threats against school leaders
On October 4, Andrew Ujifusa of Education Week reportedthat the Justice Department agreed to have the FBI examine violent threats against school leaders, including board members and superintendents. Ujifusa reports that the “FBI will work with federal attorneys, as well as state and local leaders, to discuss strategies for countering threats against teachers, principals, school board members and other educators.”“In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice announced plans to create a federal task force to address ‘the rise in criminal conduct towards school personnel,’ ” reported Ujifusa, “as school boards and other educators have faced anger and harassment in response to COVID-19 restrictions and other controversial issues in schools.”
The use of loud threats and intimidation to advance fringe agendas has gotten way out of hand. It is well past time to start prosecuting the use of these tactics.
and with a little effort (say, reading the broader set of news stories available) the FBI could SURELY figure out where the funding for the increasingly loud and “out of hand” protesting originates…
The association likened the vitriol experienced by some of its members to a form of domestic terrorism. . . .
The request by the National School Boards Association demonstrates the level of unruliness that has engulfed local education meetings across the country during the pandemic, with board members regularly confronted and threatened by angry protesters.
If there are actual, credible, threats of violence, sure, look into it. But I really do hope the FBI isn’t planning on investigating people on the basis that “vitriol” or “unrulinesses” or “confrontations” with “angry protestors” are a form of domestic terrorism.
One would think so, but too often it seems that the police cannot really do much until after a threat has been acted on. It doesn’t sound like an FBI matter to me either, but it sure is obvious why people are scared. The FBI wouldn’t be called in until the brown shirt behavior became widespread and violent.
“We have been told: ‘Parents are our customers. We want them to do what they want. ‘And that’s what they want. ”
“The next morning, word spread throughout the district that teachers should read all the books in their classroom to get rid of those who upset parents. According to a timetable reviewed by NBC News, the training is scheduled for Friday afternoon to decide which books should be removed by the end of the staff development day across the district. The document does not specify a deadline for teachers to remove books they deem inappropriate.”
Schools are just another consumer product now. Excellent work, ed reformers.
The measure for what should be banned in public schools? Whether the loudest and most politically powerful parents are “upset” or not.
Another excellent “contribution” to public schools by the ed reform movement- book bannings. They can’t deliver anything positive to public schools or public school students so we get this politically motivated nonsense depicted as “parent power”. They contribute nothing. 100% negative.
Do ed reformers see any tension between their ideological theory that parents are “customers” of public schools and….public schools?
Don’t public schools have to serve the whole community? How does their free market vision align with the fundamental mission of public schools?
Can ed reform theory co-exist with public schools? I don’t see how. If parents are customers and schools are just a consumer product we can’t have public schools. We’ll just have a list of approved contractors and a coupon to purchase educational services.
Charles Koch followed his father’s footsteps into the John Birch Society for years in Wichita, Kansas
According to the book, Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America’s Most Powerful and Private Dynasty
The Koch bros. First showed their hands with the John Birch society“Birchers, who critics accused of running stealth candidates for school board positions and employing McCarthyesque tactics in the classroom.”
1993 headline: School Boards Become the Religious Right’s New Pulpit : Education: Alliances of conservative Christian parents, political groups take control of panels, spark battles.“Public education has become a gigantic, inefficient, state-run monopoly controlled by a greedy left-wing union,” Pat Robertson said. “If the public schools do not do their jobs, let them go out of business.”
“Public education has become a gigantic, inefficient,
state-run monopoly controlled by a greedy left-wing
union,” said Pat Robertson.
His “700 Club” was the model for Jim and Tammy Faye
Bakker’s PTL…
Well at least he didn’t say,
Public education has become a gigantic, inefficient,
test-based complex, controlled by the greedy
testing and info gathering complex…
Why? Is asking for help when board members are resigning because of physical threats to them and their families not enough to ask for FBI consulting on ways local and state authorities can respond to the threats and intimidation? Sounds like someone decided the “protesters” needed to be appeased. I hope they continue to seek the necessary help.
Because the letter was unauthorized and idiotic and the NSBA is in a pot of hot water because it unwittingly stepped into a political shitstorm it didn’t understand.
Un authorized by whom? I tke it that they didn’t consult the larger membership? Obviously it would be a political s***storm. Is that a reason not to react? Do you have a reference so I don’t have to keep asking questions?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
The use of loud threats and intimidation to advance fringe agendas has gotten way out of hand. It is well past time to start prosecuting the use of these tactics.
and with a little effort (say, reading the broader set of news stories available) the FBI could SURELY figure out where the funding for the increasingly loud and “out of hand” protesting originates…
Justice moves at a turtle’s pace and sometimes slower. By the time the FBI investigates this insanity and acts or doesn’t act, it might be too late.
Mob violence appears often with warnings and moves fast like hurricanes, earthquakes, and lightning strikes leaving behind wreckage and ruin.
If there are actual, credible, threats of violence, sure, look into it. But I really do hope the FBI isn’t planning on investigating people on the basis that “vitriol” or “unrulinesses” or “confrontations” with “angry protestors” are a form of domestic terrorism.
I hope you said the same about BLM !
That the FBI shouldn’t be investigating protesters for being were loud and vitriolic and angry? Absolutely. How could this be debatable? Good lord.
There is a difference between loud and threatening. I think the issue is the threats.
“If there are actual, credible, threats of violence, sure, look into it.”
You mean like people shouting at school board members, “We know where you live!”?
Frankly that sounds like a matter for local police. But threats are bad, yes.
One would think so, but too often it seems that the police cannot really do much until after a threat has been acted on. It doesn’t sound like an FBI matter to me either, but it sure is obvious why people are scared. The FBI wouldn’t be called in until the brown shirt behavior became widespread and violent.
I am quite certain the FBI knows the difference between threats and peaceful protests.
That right there is an angry mob.
“We have been told: ‘Parents are our customers. We want them to do what they want. ‘And that’s what they want. ”
“The next morning, word spread throughout the district that teachers should read all the books in their classroom to get rid of those who upset parents. According to a timetable reviewed by NBC News, the training is scheduled for Friday afternoon to decide which books should be removed by the end of the staff development day across the district. The document does not specify a deadline for teachers to remove books they deem inappropriate.”
Schools are just another consumer product now. Excellent work, ed reformers.
The measure for what should be banned in public schools? Whether the loudest and most politically powerful parents are “upset” or not.
Another excellent “contribution” to public schools by the ed reform movement- book bannings. They can’t deliver anything positive to public schools or public school students so we get this politically motivated nonsense depicted as “parent power”. They contribute nothing. 100% negative.
https://algulf.net/2021/10/08/southlake-texas-bans-school-library-libraries-after-anti-apartheid-book-reaction/
Do ed reformers see any tension between their ideological theory that parents are “customers” of public schools and….public schools?
Don’t public schools have to serve the whole community? How does their free market vision align with the fundamental mission of public schools?
Can ed reform theory co-exist with public schools? I don’t see how. If parents are customers and schools are just a consumer product we can’t have public schools. We’ll just have a list of approved contractors and a coupon to purchase educational services.
Charles Koch followed his father’s footsteps into the John Birch Society for years in Wichita, Kansas
According to the book, Sons of Wichita: How the Koch Brothers Became America’s Most Powerful and Private Dynasty
The Koch bros. First showed their hands with the John Birch society“Birchers, who critics accused of running stealth candidates for school board positions and employing McCarthyesque tactics in the classroom.”
1993 headline: School Boards Become the Religious Right’s New Pulpit : Education: Alliances of conservative Christian parents, political groups take control of panels, spark battles.“Public education has become a gigantic, inefficient, state-run monopoly controlled by a greedy left-wing union,” Pat Robertson said. “If the public schools do not do their jobs, let them go out of business.”
“Public education has become a gigantic, inefficient,
state-run monopoly controlled by a greedy left-wing
union,” said Pat Robertson.
His “700 Club” was the model for Jim and Tammy Faye
Bakker’s PTL…
Well at least he didn’t say,
Public education has become a gigantic, inefficient,
test-based complex, controlled by the greedy
testing and info gathering complex…
Followup: The NSBA issued a public apology for sending this letter.
Why? Is asking for help when board members are resigning because of physical threats to them and their families not enough to ask for FBI consulting on ways local and state authorities can respond to the threats and intimidation? Sounds like someone decided the “protesters” needed to be appeased. I hope they continue to seek the necessary help.
Because the letter was unauthorized and idiotic and the NSBA is in a pot of hot water because it unwittingly stepped into a political shitstorm it didn’t understand.
Un authorized by whom? I tke it that they didn’t consult the larger membership? Obviously it would be a political s***storm. Is that a reason not to react? Do you have a reference so I don’t have to keep asking questions?
I am posting about this at 9 am. Stay tuned.