By John van der Brink
Everybody knew that the outcome of this election would turn our nation even further left or that there would be an attempt to conserve some of the norms of the past. And now the results are in, a new president has been elected, and he is already picking the cabinet members who will form and shape his vision for America. The question for us as a school community is, “What will those changes mean for education in America?”
There are several things worthy of note.
Wokism
One change that this administration had promised to pursue is stemming the tide of wokism in our nation’s schools. During the current administration, the LGBTQ+ movement has had almost free reign to promote their leftist agenda in our schools. Gender neutral bathrooms and locker rooms were promoted in many places, gender fluidity was normalized in the classroom, men were allowed to participate in women’s sports, parents were forbidden to know and to control what was being taught to their children. These and a host of other similar policies have permeated our nation’s schools for decades, but especially in the last four years. The new administration has promised to push back the clock on these issues. More parental involvement in education, checks on what can be taught in health classes, promoting a traditional interpretation of history – these are just some of the efforts that are intended by the new administration. It will not be easy. Wokism has become so entrenched in our schools that it will be very difficult to turn it around. We don’t know how successful or unsuccessful the new administration will be, but they have promised to try.
School Choice
The new administration has campaigned on the promotion of School Choice. This means that parents should be given the right to use their tax dollars for schools of their choice. Choosing their own school should not be connected to a huge financial burden. Poor families should have the same opportunity for a good education as do richer families. This will help children in failing inner city public schools by allowing their parents to send them to better schools outside their current zip code. It will also help ease the financial burden of those parents who are currently or would like to send their children to private schools. School choice is already practiced in many states, but the concept will be promoted by the new administration. It will surely be opposed by powerful public school teachers unions who fear losing students and public funding.
Department of Education
There seems to be interest in dismantling or curbing the US Department of Education. That seems very drastic, but there are reasons for wanting to do so. They go back to why the Department of Education (DOE) was formed and why it exists today. The Department of Education was created under the Carter administration, and its initial design was to provide extra funding for children in poverty-stricken areas in poor schools, and to provide Resource Room funding for academically disadvantaged children across America. Since its inception, it has done some good. But it is now a huge bureaucracy with lots of waste and it operates under the pressure of special interest groups.
What is worse is the overreach and moral corruption of the DOE today. It has sided with a liberal agenda related to gender, equality, equity and inclusion. Title IX is a piece of legislation which provides financial support and enforces legal compliance with these woke issues in our schools. Meanwhile the achievement gaps that it was supposed to close still remain. Betsy de Vos, a former Secretary of Education, has advocated for the actual dismantling of the DOE, and Trump campaigned on its abolition. They believe that the best interest of the child can better be served by the state departments of education and by allowing parents more control in their children’s schools.
Border Crisis
The influx of illegal migrants coming across our southern borders has placed a heavy burden upon many programs in our nation, including our educational system, especially in border towns and states. Suddenly and unexpectedly sometimes, new children appear in the classroom. Many do not understand English. Where do the extra teachers come from? Consider the cost of learning materials. Think about the administrative burden this creates. What is the quality of the educational programs in these school settings?
If the borders are sealed and illegal migrants are sent back to their home country, there will be a corresponding decrease in the weight of the educational services necessary to provide for them. The new administration is dedicated to closing the borders and to providing a proper legal pathway to citizenship to those who come to our country. This kind of procedure will also mean a more controlled enrollment into our nation’s schools.
Respect for Morals
The new administration seems to be focused on restoring some of the norms of previous decades. Some even speak of restoring a place of respect for the Bible and God’s Law. Although it will be difficult to restore its former place in our nation’s public schools, there seems to be a new appreciation at least for some of its moral standards. Perhaps Christians will not be accused as often of hate speech or of homophobia etc. when they speak out about their personal views. News agencies such as CNN and MSNBC are losing support since the election which means that Americans are turning away from the liberalism they have been espousing. This is likely to have a trickle effect also in our nation’s schools.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can see that “elections matter”. No administration is perfect. And there is much to be feared also for the coming years. But we could have been facing a future in America that is much darker. George Roller, a pastor on Capital Hill, recently said that America deserved wrath but received mercy. May that humble us and bring us in low place before God beseeching Him that He would show mercy to us as a nation in the coming years.
John Van Der Brink, director of the Netherlands Reformed Christian School in Pompton Plains, New Jersey, and a member of the Board of Directors of Christian Council International (CCI)