There appears to be a powerful frustration among American conservative mothers, who feel increasingly sidelined by school administrators and teachers. Their targets tend to be sprawling — not only mask mandates but also curricula that touch on LGTBQ rights, race and discrimination, and even the way schools define a scientific fact. Unlike in Canada, there has been more opposition against mask mandates in schools among certain American groups. This despite the fact that a Washington Post-ABC News poll released in early September found that two-thirds of Americans support mask mandates in schools. One of the parents’ groups that emerged recently is calling themselves “Moms for Liberty”. According to the organization’s founders, in 10 months the Moms for Liberty grew to 135 chapters in 35 states, with over 56,000 members and supporters.
Like many American protest movements, Moms for Liberty believe they don’t co-parent with the government. Restrictions implemented by school boards because of COVID-19, such as mandated masking in schools, brought such latent groups before the boards in protest, often using very outspoken tactics. They closely scrutinize the curriculum and textbooks used to educate students. They particularly attack any semblance of teaching related to “critical race theory” — an academic framework for examining systemic racism — which school boards have flatly stated is not part of any curriculum. Needless-to-say, the Republicans quickly aligned themselves with such movements, hoping to garner political support for the GOP. In Florida, for example, they are closely allied with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
What I find interesting is that, if parents are dissatisfied with the teaching in public schools, there is always the option of “homeschooling”. Indeed, according to the most recent federal data, 3 to 4 percent of the school-going population in the U.S. is currently homeschooled. Homeschooling is the practice of educating a child at home without enrolling him/her into a formal school. Homeschooling is also permitted in Canada, but only about .7 percent of Canadian students are currently homeschooled. There are a number of organizations in both countries that assist parents in setting up homeschooling for their children. There are a whole slew of reasons why parents choose to homeschool their children, including the provision of a safe environment, a need for individual attention, crowded schools and religious/morality beliefs. One study indicated that some 25 percent of homeschooling parents surveyed felt that schools simply did not meet the needs of the children.
While homeschooling may not be advisable for every family, particularly where both parents are working and there are monetary costs involved, the choice is there. In the U.S., some states even offer tax breaks for homeschooling families. COVID-19 actually forced more parents to take a greater interest in their kids schooling, particularly where the students were forced to undertake on-line learning as a result of school closures. However, the vast majority of parents really wanted their kids to return to in-person learning, often for mental health reasons and the benefits of socialization in a school environment. School boards have done a lot to ensure the health and safety of the students and staff, including masking, mandated vaccination for the staff and physical distancing measures. A great deal of credit needs to be given to the boards, school administrators and teachers for their roles in continuing to educate our children under very extraordinary and difficult circumstances.
Instead, we find groups such as “Moms for Liberty” attempting to politicize the teaching of children and adolescents for all the wrong reasons. Instead of trying to undermine the critical role of schools in our society, disenchanted parents are free to turn to homeschooling as a legitimate alternative. After all, one can’t please all of the parents all of the time!
FROLITICKS 
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