It’s Wisconsin Democratic state Rep. Lee Snodgrass’s turn in the barrel.
Snodgrass is under fire this week after she argued parents have no right to question what their children are taught in public school.
She really said this.
“If parents want to ‘have a say’ in their child’s education,” Snodgrass said in a since-deleted tweet, “they should home school or pay for private school tuition out of their family budget.”
In other words, if lower-income families want a “say” in what their children are taught in public school, they should consider not being lower income — as if parents lose their right to input by virtue of the fact that the school is publicly funded.
This is known as saying the quiet part out loud. Stop being poor, you nosy, know-nothing parents!
Later, after the internet informed Snodgrass of her tactical error, she deleted the tweet. She then issued a follow-up statement, claiming she didn’t say what you think she said.
“I deleted my tweet since it was lacking in nuance and easily misinterpreted,” said Snodgrass.
Which part, exactly, did the public “misinterpret”? The part where she said parents should home-school or go to private school if they want input?
“I wouldn’t want anyone to think that parents do not have a role in their child’s public education — I sure did,” Snodgrass’s “apology” continues. “I encourage all parents to engage in voting for school board, join PTO and meet with teachers.”
If this were a one-off, that would be one thing. However, Snodgrass is not the only Democrat to let slip what she really believes about parental input and public school curricula.
Failed Democratic Virginia gubernatorial nominee Terry McAuliffe rather infamously stepped in it last year with similar remarks.
“I’m not going to let parents come into schools and take books out and make their own decision,” McAuliffe said in a debate. “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”
Like Snodgrass, he tried to walk back his comments, claiming he didn’t say what you absolutely heard him say.
Elsewhere, in Michigan, the state’s Democratic Party posted a note on Facebook last month criticizing parents who believe they should be able to influence their child’s public school education.
“Not sure where this ‘parents-should-control-what-is-taught-in-schools-because-they-are-our-kids’ is originating,” the group’s Facebook note read, “but parents do have the option to choose to send their kids to a hand-selected private school at their own expense if this is what they desire.”
The noted added, “The purpose of public education in a public school is not to teach kids only what parents want them to be taught. It is to teach them what society needs them to know. The client of the public school is not the parent, but the entire community, the public.”
Can you guess what the Michigan Democratic Party did next? You guessed it: It deleted the post. It then issued a follow-up statement, promising it didn’t really mean what it said.
“Parents need to have a say in their children’s education, end of story,” the Michigan Democratic Party said, adding “the post does not reflect the views of Michigan Democrats and should not be misinterpreted as a statement of support from our elected officials or candidates.”
I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling Democrats actually believe that parents who send their children to public school have no right to question or influence their education.
Call it a hunch.
