School board elections have become increasingly important in recent times because of an aggressive push to introduce radical ideas into children’s education with little transparency. Increasingly, across the country there are conflicts arising due to what is called critical race theory, in substance if not in name, and transgenderism and explicit sexual topics brought before children at an inappropriate age and without parental knowledge. 

In an earlier time not too long ago, there was general agreement among people regardless of religion that it was unacceptable to look down on people because of their skin color and that talking to young children about sexually explicit subjects was corrupting youth or perhaps contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The prevailing spirit of the age made it easier to go along whether or not one had any strong convictions. 

Today the zeitgeist has shifted and the winds are blowing contrary and only those with settled convictions are going to be able to buck the sociological tide. The fact that racism is bad and the gender binary is settled science has not been changed because of some relatively recent notions concocted in alleged centers of higher learning.

The schools here in Jackson County have not been affected as much as in some other parts of the country but we have not been untouched. We need to make sure that it doesn’t get worse. There is too much academic work to concentrate on to have these sideshows even if they weren’t as destructive as they are. Who can say that students’ proficiencies in math, reading, science and history are what they should be? These should be the main focus, not hot button social issues that are consuming academia and destroying faith in those institutions. We need school board members that will be vigilant to keep students uppermost in mind and not be taken captive by the latest fad and who want parents to be fully aware of what the board is doing. 

In order to improve transparency, focus on academics, and prevent ideological indoctrination, please vote for Lisa Buchanan on July 26.

David Parker

Sylva