School Moms Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education

by Pappano, Laura

• ISBN13: 9780807012666
• ISBN10: 0807012661
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780807012673
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2024-01-30
• Publisher: Beacon Press
• More Book Details
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Summary

An investigative study of the far-right’s attack on education and an on-the-ground look at the parent activist battle, on either side of the debate, to control the future of public schools

For well over a century, public schools have been a non-partisan gathering place and vital center of civic life in America—but something has changed. In School Moms, journalist Laura Pappano explores the on-the-ground story of how public schools across the country have become ground zero in a cultural and political war as the far-right have made efforts to seek power over school boards.

Pappano argues that the rise of parent activism is actually the culmination of efforts that began in the 1990s after campaigns to stop sex education largely fizzled. Recent efforts to make public schools more responsive and inclusive, as well as the pandemic, have offered openings the far-right have been waiting for to organize and sway parents, who are frustrated and exhausted by remote learning, objections by teachers’ unions, and shifting directives from school leaders. Groups like Moms for Liberty and Parents Defending Education are organizing against revised history curricula they have dubbed as “CRT,” banning books, pressing for “Don’t Say Gay” laws, and asserting “parental rights” to gain control over the review of classroom materials. On the other side, progressive groups like Support Our Schools and Red, Wine & Blue are mobilizing parents to counter such moves.

Combining on-the-ground reporting with research and expert interviews, School Moms will take a hard look at where these battles are happening, what is at stake, and why it matters for the future of our schools.

Author Biography

Laura Pappano is an award-winning journalist and author who has written about K–12 and higher education for over 30 years. A former education columnist for the Boston Globe, Pappano has written about education for the New York Times, Hechinger Report, Harvard Education Letter, Washington Post, USA Today, Christian Science Monitor, among other publications. She is the author or co-author of 3 books, The Connection Gap: Why Americans Feel So Alone, Playing with the Boys: Why Separate is Not Equal in Sports, and Inside School Turnarounds.

Table of Contents

PREFACE
Why Public Schools Matter

CHAPTER 1
What the “War Moms” Want

CHAPTER 2
How Schools Are Becoming Partisan and Political

CHAPTER 3
When Librarians Come Under Attack

CHAPTER 4
How Weaponizing CRT Disrupts Learning

CHAPTER 5
Decency and Defending LGBTQ+ Students

CHAPTER 6
The New Parent Involvement

EPILOGUE
How to Fight for School Communities

Acknowledgments
Notes
Index