What Are They Teaching Our Kids?
Shouldn’t parents have a right to know what is being taught to our kids?
Seems like commonsense, but unfortunately in America’s schools, that’s not
always the case.
In a new
opinion piece for National Review Online, Goldwater Institute Director of
Education Policy Matt Beienburg writes that politicized content like the New York Times’ 1619 Project is entering
classrooms across the country with little to no challenge. But now, Arizona
legislators are considering a bill that “proposes a novel solution for those
concerned about politicized content landing quietly on students’ desks without
parental knowledge” and “would require schools to be completely forthright with
parents about their instructional materials.”
As Beienburg writes, this
proposal “would bypass outdated state protocols that frequently frustrate
parents’ ability to know what’s actually being taught, especially before they
have already committed their children to a given school. Under this proposal,
parents could begin voting with their feet on whether they want a school that
celebrates arithmetic fundamentals and 1776…or something else.” Earlier this
year, Beienburg published a Goldwater Institute report on the importance of
establishing an environment of academic transparency in K-12 schools—you
can read that full report here.
We Love You, Arizona!
Roses are red, violets
are blue, we love liberty, and Arizona, too!
February 14 is Valentine’s
Day, but it’s also Arizona Statehood Day. Arizona became a state on February
14, 1912, and so at the Goldwater Institute, it’s the perfect time to think
about what makes our home state the special place it is. From its very
beginning, Arizona has been a trailblazer in the fight to help Americans live
their lives as they see fit. And in the last year alone, Arizona has made great
strides for its people.
In 2019, the Grand
Canyon passed two major pieces of legislation making it easier for Arizonans to
get to work. Last April, Arizona passed a Goldwater Institute law that made it
the first
state in the country to recognize occupational licenses obtained out of state.
And in the same month, Arizona removed
the requirement that blow-dry salon workers—stylists who dry and style
hair, but do not cut, perm, or permanently alter hair—must obtain a cosmetology
license in order to do their job. Around the country, states are taking notice
of Arizona’s leadership and taking steps to follow in its footsteps.
Read more on
In Defense of Liberty about why we at the Goldwater Institute are proud to
call Arizona our home and help make it a strong example for others to follow.
Reminder: Watch Miss Virginia This Weekend!
Exciting news: The new
film “Miss Virginia”—which puts the spotlight on how choice can make a real difference
in a student’s education—is premiering on BET and Netflix this coming week!
The movie will make its
television debut on Wednesday, February
19 at 10:00pm ET on BET. It will also make its Netflix premiere this Sunday, February 16.
“Miss Virginia” tells
the story of mom Virginia Walden Ford’s fight to give parents all across the
financial spectrum more say in their child’s education. Her tireless efforts
resulted in the creation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program in 2004,
providing scholarships to low-income students and making it possible for them
to attend private schools. (You
can read our review of the film here.)
Recently, the Goldwater
Institute teamed up with Love Your School to host a screening of “Miss
Virginia” for a packed audience in Phoenix, followed by a panel discussion
about the positive impacts of school choice. Read
more about this special evening here.
