Critical race theory, obscene books, and forced mask mandates inspire new perspectives
While most admit to voting only in presidential elections, a year of what some describe as school board “shenanigans” has inspired greater interest among parents to vote in midterm elections.
According to FairVote, while about 60 percent of America’s eligible voters cast ballots during presidential elections, only about 40 percent vote during midterms, with 2020 and 2018 marking the highest presidential and midterm turnout in over a century. However, while midterms traditionally have lower turnout, many Americans now have renewed perspectives on the importance of casting their ballots in midterm elections. While midterms are when voters narrow the field of candidates ahead of general elections, they are also the time when voters cast ballots for those they want to represent them in state and community offices, such as school board members. Some believe the surprise victory of Republican Gov. Glen Youngkin over incumbent Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Virginia’s special election is a sign of things to come in the 2022 midterms.
The Politicians’ Perspective
Just a day after Youngkin was defeated, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), pledged to “soon unroll a parents’ bill of rights,” adding at a news conference that the GOP “will be the party of education.”
“Glenn Youngkin’s victory in Virginia was led by frustrated parents who were fed up with an education system that neglected the needs of their children,” McCarthy told The Epoch Times. “It is just one snapshot of the same frustration that has been, and continues to be, felt by millions of families nationwide.”
According to McCarthy, parents are facing school board officials who are “more interested in appeasing liberal activists and teachers’ unions than they are in bettering the educational experience of students.
“In my home state of California, there has been a recent push to ‘de-emphasize calculus’ and include more ‘social justice’ in math. Parents across the country have voiced concerns about inappropriate literature on school bookshelves. Unexpected threats of school closures continue to loom, and this is all happening in the midst of a push to decrease parental involvement in education. This is wrong—that is why House Republicans will ensure protecting parents’ involvement in education will be a critical component of our ’22 platform.”
