Ķvlog

Opinion
Families & the Community Letter to the Editor

Do Not Platform Extremists

September 19, 2023 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

To the Editor:

I am disappointed that Education Week would give any platform to Tiffany Justice, a Moms for Liberty co-founder (“‘Parents Can’t Trust Their Schools,’ Moms for Liberty Co-Founder Tiffany Justice Says,” June 30, 2023). Moms for Liberty has been identified as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Speakers at the Joyful Warriors Summit referenced in the interview include such purveyors of hate speech and anti-government sentiment as Katharine Gorka, North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, and KrisAnne Hall.

Regardless of our political or religious views, Ķvlog need to create an inclusive, safe, and productive environment for all children. A group whose followers create disruptions and disseminate threats in school board meetings; reject the authority of federal, state, and local government; are critical of social-emotional learning and counseling services; and spread baseless accusations about “indoctrination” should not be given the soapbox of a full page in a professional periodical.

Moms for Liberty started by opposing COVID-19 restrictions and fighting mask mandates in schools. They moved on to anti-critical-race-theory activism and homophobic witch hunts.

When asked how the group’s work helps improve student achievement, Justice responded: “Love is an expertise,” stating the obvious, that parent involvement in their children’s education is a “win-win.” Unfortunately, coming from Tiffany Justice, what it really means is parents, regardless of whether they know what’s happening in their children’s school or not, have the right to interfere with Ķvlog who are merely attempting to do their jobs in a climate free of harassment and accusations. This group’s words have no place in the pages of this periodical.

Jennifer Warner
Principal
Sonoma County, Calif.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 20, 2023 edition of Education Week as Do Not Platform Extremists

Events

College & Workforce Readiness Webinar How High Schools Can Prepare Students for College and Career
Explore how schools are reimagining high school with hands-on learning that prepares students for both college and career success.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
GoGuardian and Google: Proactive AI Safety in Schools
Learn how to safely adopt innovative AI tools while maintaining support for student well-being. 
Content provided by 
Reading & Literacy K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting Struggling Readers in Middle and High School
Join this free virtual event to learn more about policy, data, research, and experiences around supporting older students who struggle to read.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Families & the Community 3 Tips for Improving Student Attendance With Parents' Help
Schools must do more than engage students, they must engage parents as well, experts say. Here's how.
4 min read
Student heading towards school exit. Door of opportunity.
Christa Brunt/E+
Families & the Community An Unusual Consequence for Late School Pickups: Fees for Tardy Parents
School and district leaders struggle when parents are regularly late to the pickup line.
4 min read
Photograph of a sign that says this is the student drop off and pick up area at a school.
KaraGrubis/Getty
Families & the Community Q&A Family Engagement Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All. Here’s How to Do It Right
This Kentucky district leader emphasizes meaningful family engagement training for Ķvlog.
4 min read
Miranda Scully, Director of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) for Fayette County Public Schools, stands for a portrait outside the Family Connection Center northern facility on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. The Family Connection Center offers programs like ESL classes, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Miranda Scully, the director of family and community engagement for the Fayette school district, Public Schools, stands outside one of the district's family connection center's on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. The center offers programs like ESL classes, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Michael Swensen for Education Week
Families & the Community Leader To Learn From From Haircuts to Home Language, One District’s Approach to Family Engagement
Miranda Scully takes an all-hands-on-deck approach to parent engagement in her Kentucky district.
8 min read
Miranda Scully, Director of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) for Fayette County Public Schools, assists students during a ACT prep class held at the Family Connection Center on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington, Ky. The Family Connection Center offers programs like ESL classes, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Miranda Scully, the director of family and community engagement for the Fayette school district in Kentucky, helps students during an ACT prep class held at the Family Connection Center on Dec. 12, 2024, in Lexington. The Family Connection Center offers programs including English classes for non-native speakers, college preparation, and household budgeting and money management classes.
Michael Swensen for Education Week