Stop K–12 Schools from Activating Minors

Across the country, communities are raising concerns about public schools encouraging or facilitating student political protests — even among middle school students (ages 11–13).

📹 Watch this recent parent interview.

This raises an important question: What is the proper role of a school?

Schools exist to educate. Families rely on them to teach reading, writing, math, science, and civics — not to steer students toward activism or adult causes. When educators promote or organize protests, they move from instruction into advocacy. In a taxpayer-funded institution serving minors, that line matters.  

Students Are Still Developing

 

Minor school students:

• Cannot vote

• Cannot make legal decisions

• Are still developing judgment and impulse control

Research shows the brain areas tied to long-term decision-making mature well into young adulthood. That is why families guide children through complex political and moral topics. Encouraging minors to take political action can introduce pressure and influence before students are ready to evaluate issues independently.  

Civics vs. Activism

 

Civic education teaches how government works, how laws are made, and how to analyze issues from multiple viewpoints.

It does NOT direct students toward political action. There is a difference between teaching about engagement and involving students in activism. Schools best serve communities when they remain viewpoint-neutral spaces where students learn how to think.  

Academics Must Come First

 

Academic performance remains a serious concern nationwide:

• Reading and math scores show long-term declines

• Only about one-third of students reach reading proficiency

• Learning gaps widened after the pandemic

Every hour matters. When time is diverted from core instruction, students feel it.  

MY TAKE / OPINION — Suzanne Gallagher, Parents’ Rights In Education, Executive Director

 

Activating students politically is not new. We have observed this for decades. However, now some activist administrators and teachers have taken student activation to a new level.

They are not teaching civics. They are using other people’s minor children for political purposes — often in ways that conflict with parental values. This is no longer about balanced civic literacy. Too often, it moves beyond teaching how our system works and instead steers students toward specific viewpoints or actions. That is not true civics education. The mom featured in the video interview is a fantastic example of parental courage. She says she is going in “10 toes down, and no excuses,” and she will keep fighting the school until she feels it is safe to send her child back. She realized that sponsoring a political protest using minors was wrong. She instinctively knew that if this was happening at her child’s school, it was time to step up, and demand change. Why? Because she no longer felt she could trust those in charge of her daughter’s education. Many parents across the country share that concern. When trust breaks down, families must re-engage and hold schools accountable. Parents deserve transparency. That is basic parental rights. Public schools exist to educate, not activate.  

A Call for Transparency and Focus

 

Communities are asking for:

✔ Clear communication ✔ Academic focus ✔ Respect for families ✔ Viewpoint-neutral classrooms Students deserve strong academics. Parents deserve transparency. Schools serve best when they focus on education first.   Download the 3-Minute School Board Testimony