Last week, Popular Information revealed that a newly-formed conservative group, the Great Schools Initiative (GSI), had launched a brazen plan to impose their ideology on Michigan public schools. The scheme, dubbed "Operation Opt-Out," seeks to exploit a
Hats off to our state of MI (where my wife is a high school teacher in the public system) for not folding but fighting back. And hats off to you Judd for your reporting on this issue and for all the work you do..
I assume Plan B is to go to school board meetings and scream obscenities and make threats against board members while also stalking teachers that have the temerity and the grit to try to educate the children of these people? Or will they just go straight to death threats and posing outside teachers' houses with AR-15s?
The right at one time criticized the left for relying on the courts in the fight for civil & other
rights (60s, 70s). Now they are using the same strategy to block & rescind progress in rights. The US, until now, has been a country where rights have steadily, albeit contentiously, expanded. The modern day right wing movement is hell bent on beating back most of those hard-fought gains. This backlash will be vicious & sustained, thanks in large part to the many hard core right wing billionaires behind it. It is clear one of their main targets is public education. We might as well face that now & be prepared for the fight. Judd & others form an critical counter to this effort to force their ideology on the rest of us. And thank goodness not every state is rogue like Florida. The resistance in states like MI may surprise those involved in this fascistic push. Thank you, Judd, for once again shining a light where other outlets won’t.
Betsy DeVos lives in Michigan. Since the 1990’s her primary mission has been to dismantle public education and rebuild it with religion as its basis. The GSI has all the markings of a DeVos funded initiative.
Kaardal invoking the phrase "totalitarian left" like it's not the right which is trying to tell schools what they can and can't teach and which is trying to erase the LGBTQIA+ community. Unfortunately, it looks like Michigan is in for quite the legal battle. At least it's a battle and not a concession to the conservative fundamentalist side.
Great news. I’m glad the Michigan Department of Education is fighting back on this. I imagine the sole purpose of GSI is fir the young people to learn sex education (of all types) on the beach at night (watching submarine races), or in the backseat of their parents automobiles on some dark private place.
Wow, here’s yet another group trying their best to move our country back decades.
Perhaps the progressive thinkers of Michigan have to organize and fund a counteroffensive? The radical thinkers are very organized and very enthusiastic about their cause. Unfortunately it seems that the very idea of “learning” is a threat to those who want to conserve ??? But what ? A world that never existed? There are overtones of organized religion in all of this hysteria. BTW Telling parents they can’t opt out of courses or to limit their control of anything that effects their children needs very careful public relations or the radical forces will run with the idea of Big Brother or some other imaginary plot .
By creating awareness, Judd, to fight the good fight; this is where indeed, the pen may well be mightier than the sword.
This is me speculating, but there's a money trail somewhere, to these alt far right groups. They have to be well financed to support taking various school districts to court. Sniff out who's subsidizing these one world view, totalitarian folks & you'll know who's at the helm of a lot of these anti women's choice, anti gay, anti education, book banning, really anti- constitution, initiatives in various states. I suspect their strategy is to take away your & my rights one...state...at...a...time; to breathe life into their narrow vision of how the world ought to be.. But it's got to be benefitting the wealthy & powerful somebodies.. And when confusion reigns & the " little" folks are busy fighting over initiatives like this, it's easier for the powerful to swoop into the proverbial henhouse & do what predators do. Hide & watch.
I'm waiting to see a push for obligatory "christian" religious studies in schools. If they thought somehow there was a path through the majority, conservative leaning, Supreme Court justices, to something as overt & contrary to the Constitution's first amendment, I'm sure they'd make the attempt. And I suspect one or two of these judges would willingly draw them a map around this "thorny" issue.
Funny irony here is " they" accuse progressives of " grooming & indoctrination, " when in reality it's really more of an approach of " live & let live." Of tolerance & acceptance of each other's differences. You don't have to be me, do as I do, live my lifestyle or love who I love. But the strategy with these groups in forcing changes, legislatively state by state, to school systems, is a pointed approach to get them while their young & indeed " groom & indoctrinate" them into an intolerant, mindless mob. Critical thinking skills be damned. As the old expression goes, we'll overall be " just another cog in the wheel."
How do these people exist in the world? How does anyone take Erick Kaardal seriously as a human being? Indoctrination only happens on the right. It's been proven time and time again and it's being proven here. The "totalitarian" left that wants to acknowledge LGBTQ people exist is not in any way totalitarian. You know what is? Overtly saying that you plan to sue public schools into oblivion and 'overwhelm' them with lawsuits to push your far right narrative on the world. The right is full of lying hypocrites like Erick who don't even know how to spell their name...
Hats off to our state of MI (where my wife is a high school teacher in the public system) for not folding but fighting back. And hats off to you Judd for your reporting on this issue and for all the work you do..
Sunshine is the best disinfectant, and you Judd, shine like a thousand suns. Well done.
I assume Plan B is to go to school board meetings and scream obscenities and make threats against board members while also stalking teachers that have the temerity and the grit to try to educate the children of these people? Or will they just go straight to death threats and posing outside teachers' houses with AR-15s?
The right at one time criticized the left for relying on the courts in the fight for civil & other
rights (60s, 70s). Now they are using the same strategy to block & rescind progress in rights. The US, until now, has been a country where rights have steadily, albeit contentiously, expanded. The modern day right wing movement is hell bent on beating back most of those hard-fought gains. This backlash will be vicious & sustained, thanks in large part to the many hard core right wing billionaires behind it. It is clear one of their main targets is public education. We might as well face that now & be prepared for the fight. Judd & others form an critical counter to this effort to force their ideology on the rest of us. And thank goodness not every state is rogue like Florida. The resistance in states like MI may surprise those involved in this fascistic push. Thank you, Judd, for once again shining a light where other outlets won’t.
Betsy DeVos lives in Michigan. Since the 1990’s her primary mission has been to dismantle public education and rebuild it with religion as its basis. The GSI has all the markings of a DeVos funded initiative.
Kaardal invoking the phrase "totalitarian left" like it's not the right which is trying to tell schools what they can and can't teach and which is trying to erase the LGBTQIA+ community. Unfortunately, it looks like Michigan is in for quite the legal battle. At least it's a battle and not a concession to the conservative fundamentalist side.
Proud to represent the Totalitarian Left. Fight on!
Great report, Judd! There IS a way to fight back at all this senseless repression.
Great news. I’m glad the Michigan Department of Education is fighting back on this. I imagine the sole purpose of GSI is fir the young people to learn sex education (of all types) on the beach at night (watching submarine races), or in the backseat of their parents automobiles on some dark private place.
Wow, here’s yet another group trying their best to move our country back decades.
Great news, Judd! Thank you so much for this and other difficult issues you research!
Perhaps the progressive thinkers of Michigan have to organize and fund a counteroffensive? The radical thinkers are very organized and very enthusiastic about their cause. Unfortunately it seems that the very idea of “learning” is a threat to those who want to conserve ??? But what ? A world that never existed? There are overtones of organized religion in all of this hysteria. BTW Telling parents they can’t opt out of courses or to limit their control of anything that effects their children needs very careful public relations or the radical forces will run with the idea of Big Brother or some other imaginary plot .
"GSI did not respond to a request for comment."
I bet they didn't! : )
By creating awareness, Judd, to fight the good fight; this is where indeed, the pen may well be mightier than the sword.
This is me speculating, but there's a money trail somewhere, to these alt far right groups. They have to be well financed to support taking various school districts to court. Sniff out who's subsidizing these one world view, totalitarian folks & you'll know who's at the helm of a lot of these anti women's choice, anti gay, anti education, book banning, really anti- constitution, initiatives in various states. I suspect their strategy is to take away your & my rights one...state...at...a...time; to breathe life into their narrow vision of how the world ought to be.. But it's got to be benefitting the wealthy & powerful somebodies.. And when confusion reigns & the " little" folks are busy fighting over initiatives like this, it's easier for the powerful to swoop into the proverbial henhouse & do what predators do. Hide & watch.
I'm waiting to see a push for obligatory "christian" religious studies in schools. If they thought somehow there was a path through the majority, conservative leaning, Supreme Court justices, to something as overt & contrary to the Constitution's first amendment, I'm sure they'd make the attempt. And I suspect one or two of these judges would willingly draw them a map around this "thorny" issue.
Funny irony here is " they" accuse progressives of " grooming & indoctrination, " when in reality it's really more of an approach of " live & let live." Of tolerance & acceptance of each other's differences. You don't have to be me, do as I do, live my lifestyle or love who I love. But the strategy with these groups in forcing changes, legislatively state by state, to school systems, is a pointed approach to get them while their young & indeed " groom & indoctrinate" them into an intolerant, mindless mob. Critical thinking skills be damned. As the old expression goes, we'll overall be " just another cog in the wheel."
How do these people exist in the world? How does anyone take Erick Kaardal seriously as a human being? Indoctrination only happens on the right. It's been proven time and time again and it's being proven here. The "totalitarian" left that wants to acknowledge LGBTQ people exist is not in any way totalitarian. You know what is? Overtly saying that you plan to sue public schools into oblivion and 'overwhelm' them with lawsuits to push your far right narrative on the world. The right is full of lying hypocrites like Erick who don't even know how to spell their name...
Only round # one folks. We need all good people of conscience @ school board meetings nationwide. Will you step up?
Bravo Judd! This is exactly why Popular Information is my most valuable & highest priority subscription!