Calling bullshit on the Star Tribune.

When necessary, it should be done.

Strib published a slanted sly item of sophistry titled, "Trust parents, transform Minnesota schools -- They are the ultimate consumers — let them drive the system."

By John C. “Chuck” Chalberg
October 21, 2023 — 6:00pm 

 Consider from the start -

Here's a question for parents: How often have you thought — or heard someone say — something to the effect that, "Yes, I'm aware that there are serious problems with our public school system, but my child's school is just fine"?

Yes, it is a system — a system largely run by and for Education Minnesota, the teachers union. From that standpoint, it may well be a system that is doing just fine. It may not be doing what it was originally designed to do, but in many respects it is doing exactly just what it is currently designed to do.

Parents were given a glimpse into the public school system's inner workings during the COVID-induced shutdowns. Many didn't care much for what they saw. How else to account for school board elections heating up around the state this fall? Is it really a case of book burners, racists and Christian nationalists on the march? Much more likely, parents of all backgrounds and views have finally, if reluctantly, come to the conclusion that things may not be "just fine" in their local school after all.

There comes a time in the history of every institution when a crossroads is reached and serious questions have to be asked by those in charge — or by others who seek to be in charge. Are we on the right path? Are we on the originally intended path? Is it time for some sort of course correction? Or is it simply time to stop doing what we're doing and chart a new course altogether?

It goes on at unmerited length, including -  

A different arrangement with money could jump start the process of charting a new course. That would mean vouchers or education savings accounts, through which taxpayer dollars committed to education would be directed by parents to the public or private schools of their choice, systems that already are reality in many states.

When it comes to the education of our young, trust has to be placed somewhere. [...]

What has been called progressives' "long march" through our institutions, especially our educational institutions, has been underway since the 1960s. More to the point, that march has been quite successful.

Determining precisely how successful that march has been would require outside investigations into what is specifically being taught in classroom after classroom across the state. For example, in how many classrooms and in what ways are the theory and practice of critical race theory the order of the day? What is the state of sex education? Or of family education in general?

Such investigations would not just be unwelcome in the system. They would spur charges of McCarthyism.

What then can be done? Simply trust parents first. They are the ultimate consumers. Let them vote with their vouchers and their children's feet. Let parents, rather than Education Minnesota, drive the system.

There was a time when Democratic presidents voiced great concern about public employee unions. Franklin Roosevelt for one — John Kennedy for another. And those were days when no one could have imagined using the classroom to advance the agenda of one political party or faction. But those days are long gone.

Education Minnesota is here to stay, no doubt. There is also little doubt that the proper purpose of a union is to advance the interests of its members. Everything else is secondary, which is as it should be. Need any more be said?

Just this. Education Minnesota is not just an arm of the DFL, it is the driving force behind the DFL.

Clearly: It is propaganda, but that is not the main problem; op-ed items often are propagandistic - advocatorial. Advocating vouchers in this instance.

What to make about that, "Let them vote with their vouchers and their children's feet"? Who's saying that? Who'd benefit, were Chuck's aimed for vouchers approved, ever, by voters in Minnesota?

NOW: Where the bullshit call falls is on the item's footer.

John C. "Chuck" Chalberg, who taught American history at Normandale Community College and was an MEA member before retirement, writes from Bloomington. 

That's it? His essence?

Why not fully and adequately identify the author? (Ask Strib. They might have a reason beyond blind negligence. Perhaps not.)

Truth is:  John C. "Chuck" Chalberg,writes for the Conservative CAE outlet, the Center for the American Experiment, and is a featured Catholic Speaker.

Indeed, to flesh out the latter status, the Catholic Speakers site

https://catholicspeakers.com/profiles/john-c-chuck-chalberg

states:

I perform and lecture as Catholic writer/convert G.K. Chesterton. Dr. John C. “Chuck” Chalberg is a professional historian who performs as a number of historical figures. At the top of the list is Catholic convert and apologist, G.K. Chesterton, a writer famous for his wisdom, paradoxes, and great good humor.

Chalberg becomes Chesterton, whether he is performing his one-man show as Chesterton or lecturing as Chesterton. When he is not writing for such publications as “Touchstone,” “The Weekly Standard,” “Chronicles,” “The New Oxford Review,” “Gilbert!,” among a few others, he has also been known to become Theodore Roosevelt and baseball’s Branch Rickey, among a few others.

[...] He has also performed for a large number of colleges, including Notre Dame, Boston College, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Duquesne, Villanova among many others. [...]

Lectures/Talks as G.K. Chesterton:

1. Dueling with Darwin. Hear Chesterton talk about and question the Darwinian view of the world. In this talk he will also defend the Catholic Faith.

[...]

 

Is it irrelevant who, in full reality, is authoring something? You decide.

An experienced Catholic conservative figure who writes for a decidely Republican leaning organ, CAE, submits to Strib a trashing of the DFL and of Education Minnesota and goes unnamed for who he in entirety is? And he wants vouchers.

Is that ending tagline good journalism? 

You decide.

Crabgrass holds Strib negligent for hiding big time info under a hat. 

Relevant truth, obscured.

Things are cumulative. This "parents decide" putsch is a coordinated thing. A year ago Strib did publish -

Candidates seeking 'apolitical classrooms' emerge in Sartell school board race

Three conservative candidates are running as a slate for the nonpartisan school board. 

By Jenny Berg Star Tribune

October 29, 2022 — 3:45pm

For the first time in recent history, three candidates are running together to fill the open spots on the Sartell-St. Stephen school board. And concern over that bloc of candidates has prompted the district's teachers union to do something it has never done before: endorse candidates.

"This year specifically we are dealing with some extraordinary circumstances," said Stacy Hurdt, president of the Sartell teachers union. "We have never really seen a national campaign like this before."

Nine candidates are running for three seats on the six-member nonpartisan board. The three running as a slate are Emily Larson, Jen Smith and Scott Wenshau. They did not return a request for comment but their website [now a dead link] lists their priorities as increased transparency, restoring apolitical classrooms and promoting parental rights.

But critics say the trio is anything but apolitical. Two of the slate's members — Larson and Smith — created a group called Kids Over Politics following the district's involvement in an equity audit that showed students were concerned about racism, homophobia and discrimination. The group, which rallied against the audit and its results, states that its core belief is "character over race every time."

In recent years, school board races across the country have become more polarized with conservative candidates campaigning together as slates. Many question districts about the teaching of gender and sexuality, and are generally opposed to equity initiatives. Those groups also have often advocated against mask mandates and other pandemic safety measures in schools.

In Sartell, the teachers union invited all nine candidates to participate in the endorsement process but Larson, Smith and Wenshau declined, stating in a jointly signed letter they wouldn't participate and wouldn't accept an endorsement if it was offered. The letter also questioned if the union's endorsement could harm the relationships between the union, teachers and the school board.

While past candidates Jensen and Birk have shuttered their Gov-Lt.Gov websites, they were posting education "policy" in similar buzzword fashion. Jensen, stoking the GOP fire, has: https://www.facebook.com/DrScottJensen/

The rhetoric dates back at least to the Sartell situation and the last election for governor, with buzzword obfuscation of who's trying what. While Crabgrass does not avidly follow Strib op-ed and letters stuff, what was found was a counter view to the Catholic Speaker's thing, elsewhere. https://www.hometownsource.com/abc_newspapers/news/local/letter-extremists-code-words-threaten-quality-education/article_9942494a-6df1-11ee-90c2-d74ff1d567e6.html

LETTER: Extremists’ code words threaten quality education

• Oct 22, 2023

  To the editor:

Thank you to the Anoka County UnionHerald for publishing written interviews of the Anoka-Hennepin School Board candidates on Sept 22. I read each carefully, checked their websites and sources of support.

I frequently saw words like “parental rights,” “cultural divisiveness” and “curriculum transparency.” These are code words that extremists have used to cloak their real intent. What is really being said is, “we as parents want our own values (religious) taught to all children, we don’t want to include other cultures, races, history or facts, and we want to be able to censor and/or ban books that would have such information?”

American education has been held up as the highest standard precisely because we seek to expand children’s views and ideas. Parents’ rights are not infringed because their child is learning new things. That is the goal! What would happen if every parent demanded their personal values be taught in all Minnesota schools?

We must take into account that those who are raising such a fuss against our School Board are a small group who are affiliated with groups like Moms for Liberty and MN Parents Alliance who, instead of working with school boards and teachers, have been intimidating them all across the country. They do not represent the vast majority of Minnesotans.

I think it might be important to remember we fought a long war in Afghanistan against a government that used religion as a means to suppress rights. Remember when folks were worried about “sharia law?” It is the same idea.

Women, children and education especially do not tend to fare well under these types of governing bodies nor ultimately does any entire economy.

Watch and listen for these code words and understand that they are being distorted. You cannot claim to want to strengthen teacher-parent bonds when you are harassing the individuals already on the job.

Patti Rysdam - Andover

Not that  Dr. John C. “Chuck” Chalberg should not advance and seek publication of his opinions. Censoring that would not be the American Way. The American Way is, however, that you, if a newspaper, do not hide relevant information about an author/advocate when you publish their stuff. 

"Chuck" is part of a movement, highly politicized, against educators and how they currently educate, where the skilled professionals are attacked as if against parents influencing their childrens' thought processes and development. They are not. After school, the kids go home, and come from there to go to school. Parents have their say. Weekends parents set church agendas, or not; it is discretionary with each family

It is that universal public education is, by Minnesota's Constitution and by sound common sense, aimed at developing minds of competent voting citizens, regardless of any biases they may experience at home. Home is home. School is school. Each has a place in the development of a next generation of sane, discerning, capable citizens. Of which we seem to never have enough.

Who'd want less? 

And why?

________UPDATE________

Something that needs to be said, yet again. It has already been pointed out numerous times that childless taxpayers pay for public secular education because it is a public good to produce a next generation of educated citizens to promote the continuation of a constitutional representative democracy such as we have had and enjoyed as a people since the founding of our nation and our state, Minnesota. We have separation of church and state as a bedrock principle. We should never take money from childless taxpayers and give money to others who'd send the children of those others into religious indoctrination. They pay their own freight, if that's what they want.

Church is church. State is state. Keep one free from encroachment of the other.

(Figure out, which might encroach on the other - in fact, it could cut both ways.)