It's time to take action
We created this take action guide to help start important conversations. The incessant focus on DEI (as schools enforce it) is racist, anti-meritocratic, and anti-intellectual, which is the opposite of what one would expect from high-quality Independent Schools. Even without a background in education, parents are their children’s first and most important teachers. Trust your instincts.
​Does your school seem to care more about the people running it than the children it purports to serve? As parents are wondering if schools are irretrievably broken, many private school parents nationwide are mobilizing to restore educational excellence because students should be learning how to think independently and engage in civil discourse. Here’s how you can get started.
Gather information
The first step is to really understand your school. Is there truth in advertising? Your school's website and other marketing material will be helpful indicators of what your school prioritizes. Request curriculum, course syllabi/lesson plans for subjects of concern. If the material strips students of their agency while promoting one negative and divisive “politicized” worldview it should be questioned. Has the school’s mission changed? If so, was the change communicated? Published?
Ask questions of other parents, teachers, and school leadership about their experiences and perspectives. Utilize parent conference opportunities to get a picture of what's happening in your child's classroom. Review your school handbook to learn about school policies. Request meetings with school administration and trustees to ask about the school's policies that might not support heterodox thinking or viewpoint diversity.
Find allies
You are not alone and there is a “silent majority” of parents and teachers nationwide (and even from outside the US) who are starting to ask questions about what they see and hear from their schools and their children. Take the lead and find a few people in your school who can help you think and act strategically to make the changes you would like to see. It is important to role model positive behavior for your children and show them you care enough to get involved. Please note that NAIS is arming schools with resources to fight “insubordinate parents'' so be prepared for some pushback. Also note that parents have no “rights” in private schools, they can be asked to leave if the administration determines that they are “not a fit.”
Opt Out
Request course syllabi and more detailed lesson plans for subjects of concern. If the material does not provide balanced perspectives, you can share alternative and supplemental curriculum options. Identify and oppose when the “chilling of speech” (a product of DEI) happens. Students should be learning how to think independently and engage in civil discourse. When concerns arise regarding curriculum or lessons, you and your child have the right to opt-out. It's reasonable to oppose curricula and exercises that teach students to hate themselves, each other, and their country. These exacerbate racism, antisemitism, anxiety, and depression.
Speak up
There are many approaches you can take. Asking questions and sharing what you have learned is a great first step, as many parents don’t understand the negative consequences of DEI or the relevance of accreditation. For example, did you know that most states don’t even require independent schools to be accredited? Beyond spreading the word, you can begin to report and opt out of concerning lessons or curriculum. You might also be ready to connect with trustees, advocate for viewpoint diversity in policies, withhold donations, and promote balanced offerings for professional development, school speakers, and other resources.
Support your child
Schools can have less influence on value formation than you might think. Parents are still the primary voice of truth in their child's life. In fact, by the time children graduate high school, they will have only spent 15-20% of their lives in school. Parents are responsible for the moral upbringing of their children, and it should, therefore, be up to parents to teach their values to their children. At the very least, parents can inoculate their children against terrible ideas.