The world is becoming more competitive, facing problems that threaten our peace and prosperity. We must solve these problems for our prosperity to grow.
More than ever, we need to educate our children to face future challenges. America is the most successful democracy in history. We have created a system that is the envy of the world. Nations that modeled their system of government upon the same values on which America was built – free enterprise, free speech, freedom of religion, and democracy – are thriving. The nations that chose a different path tend to be the same nations whose refugees we find on our southern doorstep attempting to escape poverty, crime, and violence.
Because we face these challenges, I am concerned about the growing trend of schools focusing on issues of race and class struggle, controversial sexual topics, and unproven social theories.
I disagree with these ideas. These trends are controversial, meaning broad disagreement is baked into the discussion. San Francisco activists recently announced their belief that there are 130 different genders. There will be disagreement about that claim.
We should not expect to hash these controversial issues out in primary and secondary classrooms. We should not teach these experimental ideas. We should not test social theories on children. Our youngest citizens should not be on the bleeding edge of radical social change.
The purpose of schools is to teach foundational knowledge and skills necessary for students to succeed. Our schools must teach them to read, comprehend, and be proficient in math skills. They must be ready to hold jobs serving their fellow citizens while providing for their families. We must teach them about world history, particularly our thriving democracy, which is a light for other nations. And we must teach our students about new technologies.
There is a massive list of skills today’s students must grasp. Helping children master these topics is a challenge. Having all students graduate from our public schools with an education that prepares them to survive in the world is a considerable challenge due to shorter attention spans and emotional problems related to social media.
So, do we need to dump a truckload of controversial ideas in the middle of this already tumultuous terrain? Should schools make political indoctrination the priority instead of preparing students for the challenges they will soon face?
Absolutely not. During the 87th Legislative Session, the Texas House and Senate moved to remove so-called “woke” teaching from schools and retain the scientific and traditional view of genders on athletic fields. That makes good sense to me, and we need to do the same in our public education institutions. Let society debate the woke agenda, but let’s not turn our schools into the battlefield for these issues.
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