“The most important institution in America is not Congress, it’s not the White House,
it’s not even the Supreme Court—it’s the classroom.” Charlie Kirk
For decades, America’s classrooms have been turned into political battlegrounds—shifting from education to indoctrination through union power, federal overreach, and ideological capture. As Republican women, let us honor Charlie Kirk by taking responsibility to reclaim education for our children and grandchildren. Here is how the Democrats Hijacked the Education System:
1972 – Title IX and Federal Strings
- Passed to prevent discrimination in education, Title IX soon expanded beyond its original scope.
- Federal funding was tied to compliance mandates, giving Washington leverage over schools and laying the groundwork for progressive reinterpretations.
1975 – The Rodda Act (California) & Unionization
- The Rodda Act granted teachers collective bargaining rights, fueling the rise of powerful unions.
- While meant to support educators, it entrenched protections that made it harder to remove failing or abusive teachers.
- Teachers’ unions like the NEA and AFT quickly aligned with Democrats, becoming political as well as professional organizations.
1976–1980 – Carter & the Department of Education
- In 1976, the NEA endorsed Jimmy Carter—the first presidential endorsement in its history.
- Carter rewarded this alliance by creating the S. Department of Education (1979).
- Education policy shifted from local control to a federal stronghold with funding strings and compliance requirements.
1980s – Campaign Financing & Union Power
- Campaign finance reforms enabled unions like the NEA and AFT to pour millions into Democratic campaigns.
- They became one of the most powerful political machines in America, shaping education policy and outcomes.
- Republicans often focused on foreign policy and taxes, leaving education battles unchallenged—a passivity that gave Democrats a decades-long head start.
1980s–1990s – Foundation Power Expands
- Foundations such as Ford, Rockefeller, and Carnegie poured billions into K–12 education, funding multicultural curricula and “equity-based” reforms.
- With the Department of Education now in place, federal grants increasingly carried policy strings, steering schools toward progressive agendas.
1990s–2010s – Qualified Immunity & Normalized Cover-Ups
- School officials operated with near “qualified immunity.”
- From the school-to-prison pipeline to sexual misconduct, to financial scandals, cover-ups became routine.
- Administrators protected by union contracts and insurance payouts avoided accountability, while families were left without truth or justice.
2000s–2010s – Gates & Soros Influence
- The Gates Foundation poured billions into education, driving Common Core and centralized accountability.
- Soros-aligned groups invested in grassroots activism and higher-ed DEI initiatives, embedding progressive ideology deeper into schools.
2010s–2020s – DEI Curriculum Shaping Woke Culture
- Federal grants and mandates embedded Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices across schools and universities.
- Court rulings shifted education from equal opportunity to equal outcomes.
- Teacher colleges shifted training from academics to critical theory, social justice, and identity politics.
- Affirmative action, bilingual mandates, and multicultural curricula institutionalized progressive ideology in schools.
- Democrats turned schools into activism pipelines: climate strikes, “equity teams,” and student protests.
- Conservative viewpoints were marginalized, and dissent carried professional and social risks.
- Nearly 90% of faculty now identify as Democrats, creating a one-sided academic culture with little room for ideological diversity.
- Turning Point USA, founded by Charlie Kirk, rose in response—because conservatives realized too late that the left had built a decades-long head start.
In Summary
Through the Rodda Act, Carter’s Department of Education, campaign financing, foundation funding, progressive teacher training, judicial shifts, and decades of conservative neglect, Democrats built a near-monopoly in education.
The result is today’s 90% Democrat-leaning, “woke” culture in schools—a system Charlie Kirk dedicated his life to challenging. He reminded us:
The Question Before Us:
The question now is not only how we remember Charlie Kirk’s mission, but how we continue it. And how can we influence our inner networks—our families, our churches, our communities—to push back against indoctrination and reclaim the classroom?
The answers begin with us. God Bless America
Lea Wolf