David Axelrod, a former Obama adviser and CNN political commentator, said Wednesday that parents should be more involved with their children’s education than politicians.
“Parents must be involved in schools where their children go. Politians should not be involved in schools their children attend. Axelrod stated in a Wednesday tweet.
His comments are in direct contradiction to those made by Democratic politicians Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor-elect candidate, and Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers, who both argued that parents shouldn’t have any control over public school curriculum.
Fox News Digital’s Corey DeAngelis, National Director of Research at School Choice Now, said, “I’m glad David is seeing the light.” “This is a wonderful endorsement of school choice, parental rights in education. Parents care more about the needs of their children than bureaucrats working in distant offices.
He said that parents, and not politicians, should determine the best education environment for their children.
The aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic have caused heated debates over COVID-19 restrictions like remote learning and mandates for masks.
According to the San Francisco Department of Elections, the overwhelming majority of San Francisco residents approved Tuesday’s recall of three members of their school board. They claimed that they supported progressive politics over acting in the best interests of children during the pandemic.
Politicians and pundits have suggested that teachers should have the most influence in school curriculum design. Students have the right to make their own decisions, even if they disagree with their parents.
Others believe that parents who pay taxes to fund their children’s public schools, teachers’ salaries and other educational expenses should be able to have more control over what materials are used in classrooms.
Over the past two decades, more parent groups like Parents Defending Education (FAIR) and the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism have sprung up to address concerns about COVID-19 mandates and school curriculum.
