SCC Dems’ panicked school board article fearmongers and distracts, says Cal Policy Center VP
Jackson Reese—longtime political consultant and California Policy Center’s VP—unpacks the bizarre claims made in a recent article by the SCC Democrats, which warns locals against conservative school board candidates. One of several exclusive interviews for Opp Now. To receive daily updates of new Opp Now stories, click here.
Opportunity Now: When we first saw this article by the SCC Democrats, we were surprised at how overheated their language is when they discuss conservative school board runners. Is this normal?
Jackson Reese: I actually like their style as much as I hate the content. It’s easy to get caught up in the ivory tower of trying to talk to people like they’re experts. The SCC Democrats aren’t doing that here. There’s no holier-than-thou tone, but instead, it’s written in an approachable, down-to-earth style. However, I would debate whoever wrote this in a heartbeat.
ON: And what’s the deal with throwing MAGA and Trump around? What do they have to do with school board elections?
JR: This has got to be their marketing memo: Put Trump’s name on everything, lean heavily on that angle. Here, they’re connecting this women’s group (SVARW) with MAGA candidates, saying anyone who’s connected with the group is supported by MAGA.
ON: Next, we have to address the academic achievement comment. In a strange turn of words, the SCC Democrats’ article disparages these non-progressive candidates’ focus on “reading, math, and [English] language.” What’s up with that?
JR: That is a funny and ridiculous line. This statement highlights a remarkable lack of self-awareness, a lack of understanding of why the other side is frustrated and why so-called MAGA Republicans are running for school board. Comments like these justify and highlight their rationale for running. These parents are concerned about their local schools moving into controversial subjects that should be handled at home, by parents, on a kid-by-kid basis.
The idea that it’s up to the government to teach you those things—and to not notify parents—at the same level of importance as learning how to read, for example, is pretty insane. Even the teachers union president in LA, Cecily Myart-Cruz, said that students didn’t learn to read and write during COVID, but at least they learned the difference between a riot and a protest.
Through engaging in this kind of language and publishing this comment, the SCC Democrats are clearly missing why there’s an issue.
When the emphasis is so focused on politics—even here, in the SCC Democrats publishing this—we miss the reason we have schools. The reason we have school boards. I think the teachers union ghostwrote this. They’re a political entity by design and are purely political (as described by the Supreme Court). Their focus is on shifting the political culture and making sure the next generation of students are progressives, not on providing the best education to them. Unfortunately, many teachers buy into that mission.
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This article is part of an exclusive Opp Now series. In three installments, California Policy Center’s Vice President Jackson Reese unpacks a strange SCC Democrats article about the dangers of conservative school board candidates:
examining their heated, anti-academic achievement language;
analyzing “parents rights” as more than a buzzword for candidates;
and breaking down why SCC progressives prioritize school board elections so heavily.
Image by Erik (HASH) Hersman