The mere notion of book banning evokes images of snarling government censor agents, angry mobs, and bonfires in the town square.
Looking around today, life doesn’t look like Orwell’s 1984. However, change might be easier if it did. The perniciousness of the attempted takeover of our school system is not in its audacity but in its banality. Some in our society might think there’s nothing unusual about book banning, denigrating trans and LGBTQ students, codifying funding inequalities, perpetuating digital divides, and indifference to racial achievement gaps, but these “common sense” measures are like a slowly creeping epidemic. We can’t see what’s happening until everyone is sick. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to see much more. Our system is pretty sick!
It’s not all bad, though. A closer look at what’s happening reveals that in today’s world, life imitates social media. The ones making the most noise are shaping the debate, gaining click-bait headlines, and, in too many cases, winning political battles for the future of education in America.
These activists are also part of a diminishing ideological minority, hurtling toward the singularity in a proudly pluralistic society. In 2021-2022, just 11 adults were responsible for 60% of all book challenges, some submitting hundreds in their districts.
In this regard, I am heartened by what’s possible. If 11 people can do this much damage, imagine the kind of good millions of us could do.
America’s Engagement Problem
The fiercest opponents to equity reform are already deeply engaged, but most parents have yet to gain experience with the pace and scope of change today. It’s left many feeling unsupported and hesitant, choosing to stay on the sidelines until things settle down.
I see a lot of potential energy waiting for a system that desperately needs it. Rather than a nation of extremists, we’re just a bunch of parents trying to give our kids a quality education and, hopefully, a better world.
On this point, I like our chances. Education equity reform is the better argument, and with it, I think we can turn unengaged parents into critical allies.
Many parents are already waking up to the troubling agenda infiltrating school boards. A recent Florida school board meeting featured a debate about banning The Kite Runner and Slaughterhouse-Five. The parental activist group and ideological mothership of book-banning efforts, Moms for Liberty, was outnumbered 20 to 1 by parents who compared book banning to Nazi Germany and accused the group of “waging a war on teachers.” No one voted in favor of the bans.
This begs the question: How do we reach parents in ways that inspire and motivate them?
Earn the Public’s Trust
Public trust in government has been hovering around historical lows for over a decade. In 2023, public trust in government was 16%, just one point higher than the all-time low of 15% in 2011. In the intervening 12 years, that number never rose above 24%.
The public school system seems to be a frequent target of that mistrust lately. You might have to change some deep-rooted beliefs among even some of the most well-meaning parents.
But there’s a weird disconnect here that can be used to do some good. There’s a chasm of difference between the satisfaction American adults overall feel about our education system (36%) and how parents feel about the quality of their child’s K-12 education, with 76% reporting that they are satisfied. It’s believed that this is because they can engage with the system.
There will always be a diversity of perspectives, and none of us will agree on everything, but on the state of education in this country, we’re far less divided than it seems. It’s funny how that works. When people feel like they are a part of the system, they tend to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Now, the trick is transmuting interaction into activism. The most powerful way to do that is to validate parental satisfaction by earning and maintaining their trust.
Here are four ways to get started:
1. Be an Active Listener
No one likes feeling ignored or deprived of a voice. Accepting and processing parental concerns and fears and asking questions that can lead to understanding helps turn parents into allies and gives them a voice in shaping reform. We can be better listeners without cost or conditions.
By establishing an open dialog, we make space to discover shared values among reformers and fellow parents alike. Maybe the shape of something still needs negotiating, but if we can reach common ground on priorities like ensuring a safe and nurturing learning environment, it’s possible to rise above ideological differences and improve the system for all children.
2. Lead With Abundance
I’ve written about how the scarcity myth animates some of the more uncharitable mindsets in education. In that earlier blog, my focus was on funding allocations, and make no mistake, we will need engaged parents to achieve equitable funding, but abundance is about more than dollars and cents.
If you lead with abundance, you assure parents that there is room for their perspective, that their child is seen, and that we are all in this together. If they feel like you and other parents are as invested in their child’s future as they are, that trust will be lasting and strong.
3. Be Transparent
At a national level, the value of education becomes abstract. That’s why Americans in general seem to be dissatisfied with education, but parental satisfaction with their specific school is nearly the inverse.
Big Government and its Education Apparatus seem like shadowy figures. There’s minimal visibility into how or why policy decisions are made and who makes them. It’s difficult to infer the far-reaching impacts. The whole picture is opaque.
Reformers should be the exact opposite. Be precise about your changes. Be upfront about why they are necessary and who will benefit. Be transparent about how changes will be funded and rolled out. Don’t hide curriculum plans, teaching methods, or new technologies. Show parents the whole picture in crystal clear detail. This will give you a chance to shape reform in a sustainable way that has long-term buy-in. When people know what something is and how it works, they’re more apt to trust and defend it.
4. Act Local
There can be a perception that reformers are pushing some broader national or global agenda that’s disconnected from the community and exploiting them for political clout. To disprove this mindset, your reform plan must integrate local values and perspectives into its curriculum, funding priorities, and educational philosophy.
A commitment to inclusivity that works to honor cultural identities and put forward an honest curriculum that the community can rally around is a profound gesture of trust that tells communities they matter and that their stories hold irreplaceable value.
Let’s Get Cooking
With trust established, we’ve got our veggies chopped and our spices all measured out. But a recipe is more than a list of ingredients. We’ve got to sort out how it all comes together next because trust isn’t a static state of being. It can be lost, enhanced, leveraged, or misplaced.
We must validate that trust to forge long-term allies while getting stuff done. Even small wins can inspire dramatic action and give hesitant parents a much-needed sense of what’s possible when we work together. In my next article, we’ll discuss how you can “walk the walk” on reform and bring engaged parents with you on the road to education equity.