Fox News Opinion published a piece the other day that had me silently cheering its plainspokenness, when I wasn’t horrified at what I was reading. It had to do with who is organizing these student ICE protests and the educational attainment of the kids participating.
It was by a gentleman named Ryan Walters (who I’ve never heard of and who writes really well) and it was entitled “It’s not students organizing ICE walkouts — here’s who’s really behind the nationwide protests” and subtitled “Academic performance drops as schools become staging grounds for political demonstrations nationwide.”
I didn’t feel I could get an American Thinker article out of it as AT requires that we do some independent analysis of whatever we are presenting in order to bring something new and worthwhile to the party (a perfectly reasonable ask!). I decided to share it here because I felt even in my little-trafficked corner of the internet, it needed whatever amplification I could bring it, analysis notwithstanding. It didn’t need it. It says everything perfectly all on it’s own, so while I would recommend you read it in it’s entirety itself, I’ll offer some excerpts with some light commentary below.
He begins:
Across the country, mass chaos is erupting in classrooms. Students are being encouraged and aided in walking out during school hours to protest American law enforcement.
And we’re told these “demonstrations” are organic expressions of “student voice” and civic engagement.
They are not.
Of course they’re being led by educators. More:
To be specific, what is being represented as an organic, grassroots movement is being orchestrated by adults who run the same teacher unions and activist networks that have blurred, and now erased, the lines between education and political warfare.
This distinction matters because when schools across the country become staging grounds for political demonstrations, students aren’t being empowered to speak their mind.
They’re being used.
That’s what’s so despicable: these kids are too young to know what they are doing. And here comes the part that made my jaw drop — in bold:
Student proficiency scores in reading and math have never been lower, yet the people in charge of education have taken it upon themselves to encourage students to leave the classroom.
This is not harmless symbolism; it’s negligence.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), U.S. high school reading and math scores are at their lowest levels in decades, with only 35% of seniors proficient in reading, and 22% proficient in math.
How — HOW is this possible??????? This should be headline news everywhere. As a genuine crisis in education!!! OH. MY. GOD. We’re graduating a generation of functional illiterates! After twelve years of schooling! These are SENIORS. Seniors!!!!!
I have nothing else to add. Please, PLEASE just read the whole thing. It goes on for another dozen or so paragraphs. And please share what you learn with others. People need to be aware of this. We are MASSIVELY failing our kids.
Again, a link to the article is HERE.