As children head off to school, the house may be more quiet, but Patriotic Moms still have plenty of work to do.  

This checklist can help busy moms make sure that our schools are not undermining our beliefs and values.  

Take a look, see if the things you care about are on the list.  

You can add, delete, or modify items, or even create a new list of your own.  

The important thing is to take an active role in making sure the school is not teaching your child things you disapprove of.  

Or, if you can't change what is being taught, you can discuss what you believe with your child and help prepare them for what they will hear at school.

• Find out if your school has a student newspaper and subscribe. There are often announcements in student newspapers concerning controversial matters on campus...
  

 

• Find out if your school has a policy that allows minor students to leave campus for confidential medical treatment without notifying the parents. CRI has information on how you can take this matter to your school board and attempt to have the policy changed to a parent-friendly policy...

 

• When your kids come home from school, ask them if they did any journaling that day and, if so, what they wrote about. Teachers often have their students journal about their feelings on certain controversial issues, things that happen at home, etc, and then have the children leave their journals at school.
  

 

• Teach your child how to respond to the myths taught in public schools that contradict your values...
  

 
Scan textbooks, workbooks, teaching materials, and classroom handouts to ensure that your children are being taught in accordance with your values.
 

• Is it anti-parent? (Parents are ignorant, old fashioned)
  

 

• Does it instruct the child to keep secrets from the parent?
  

 

• Does it encourage a negative view of the child, his family, his country, or his future?
  

 

• Is it preoccupied with death, tragedy, hate, anger, revenge etc.? 
  

 

• Is it anti-religion? Does it lead the child to reject morals and values taught at home or church?
  

 

• Does it lead the child to believe there are no absolute standards? (Morality is relative and depends on the situation)
  

 

• Does it encourage experimentation with sex, alcohol, or drugs?
  

 

• Does it censor out all knowledge of the importance of religion in American history?
  

 

• Does it force the child to make choices based on hypothetical situations and decide it is okay to lie, cheat, steal, kill, have sex outside of marriage, have an abortion, or commit suicide?
  

 

• Does it force the child to answer questionnaires about the family's attitudes, behaviors, customs, political views that invade privacy?
  

 

• Does it blur traditional concepts of gender identity and force the child to accept radical feminist notions?
  

 

• Does it censor out our nation's heroes such as George Washington but spend much time studying controversial contemporary figures?
  

 

• Does it lead the child to believe that global or world government is preferable to the American constitutional republic?
  

 

• Does it imply that government spending programs lead to economic prosperity instead of hard work and perseverance?
  

 

• Does it lead the child to believe that disarmament rather than defense can prevent future war?

Whether you have recently started back to school or are enjoying the last few days of summer vacation, here are some ideas to help start the year right:

1)  Take pictures.  These become family favorites over the years.  Some families make posters for the kids to hold that tell their name, age, grade, teacher, or anything else you want to remember.

2)  Enjoy a fun walk or drive to school together.  Make sure your child knows how to get to school and to classes.    

3)  Make your child’s favorite lunch for the first day of school and include an affectionate note.

4) Create an inviting homework area together.  It can be at the kitchen table or a desk.  Stock it with pencils, pens, markers, glue sticks, ruler, scissors, dictionary, paper, and other helpful supplies.

5) Prepare a special family dinner.  All it takes is a little candlelight, balloons, or a favorite dish to make it memorable.  Take a minute to give your family a meaningful “back to school” message.

6) As you tuck your child in at night, invite them to share a “best” and “worst” happening of the day.  Listen with love.  You could write their favorite memories and things they learn from their challenges in a journal.

7) Spend a family evening together and talk about the new school year.   Write goals for the year.  Serve refreshments. Say a prayer together to express gratitude for your blessings and seek for help in the upcoming school year. 

8) Record a video at the beginning of each school year.  It can be very simple.  Some ideas are for your child to say their name, grade, teacher, a few of their favorite things, and their goals for the year. Other possibilities include saying a poem, reading a selection from a favorite book, performing a talent, or anything else that reflects your family values and interests.  You can add to it each year, or even each month.  Kids love to watch these videos over the years.

What we do and when we do it probably aren’t as important as creating happy, loving memories together.  Wishing you and your family a very wonderful school year!

As a Mom, have you ever worried about the "daily diet" of ideas your child is being fed in the public schools?  

I know I have. 

Some teachers clearly have an agenda they are pushing.  

For example, a Virginia middle school teacher recently forced his students to research the backgrounds of the Republican candidates, find weaknesses in their positions, create a strategy to exploit them, and figure out how to report their findings and recommendations to the Obama campaign.  

Parents were upset when they discovered the "assignment."  

Click LIKE if you would be too.

For years, a unionized bureaucracy has controlled our schools.  The quality of education has declined and kids have suffered.  We can do better for our children.  Charter schools, vouchers, home school and other options are now giving families a choice. 


   

Are you skeptical of school choice programs? Do words like private schools, charter schools, vouchers, and tax credits make you uneasy? 

In this video, Professor Angela Dills shares four things every parent should know about school choice, and why it may be a good option for you.

People who support school choice usually believe:
 
1) Parents care most, and are best prepared, to make important decisions regarding the care and education of their children. 

2) Parents have a fundamental right to make education choices for their children. 

3) Best educational solutions will be found in a system where schools compete to meet the needs of American children.


Learn More about School Choice

School Choice Has Many Advantages

Why the "One Size Fits All" Approach to Education Doesn't Work 

Why Spending More Money Has Not Improved Education

Education is Essential for Liberty: Quotations on Education

Last week, Karen Schroeder, president of Advocates for Academic Freedom, asked to share the following article with you about the attack on liberty in the public schools.  

After reading the article and reviewing the website,  http://advocatesforacademicfreedom.org, I felt we would be wise to learn more about what is happening in our schools, and what we can do about it.  

Thanks to Karen for her wonderful work, and for taking the time to share with us here at PatrioticMoms.com!  

Teaching correct principles of liberty to our children is vital!  As Ronald Reagan so wisely warned, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

American parents typically encourage their children to enjoy opportunities provided by America’s republic, but are they vigilant in protecting those opportunities? 

While teachers deserve trust and respect, parents mistakenly believe that teachers are the watchdogs of the academic standards of the profession. In reality, parents can have greater influence than the classroom teacher over many aspects of educational standards. Parents need to exercise their due diligence toward the educational system. 

During mid-2011, new standards for social studies were provided by state departments of education. These standards were influenced by college professors/educational experts and defined by a variety of committees and councils such as the National Council of the Social Studies. 

Colleges across America are using the HANDBOOK OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IN EDUCATION edited by William Ayers to prepare teachers to influence American school curriculum. A chapter written by Bill Ayer’s brother, Rick Ayers, states, “…these social justice education projects fit equally well in history courses as in math, English, science, or art.” Therefore, developing a social and political ideology became preferable to mastery of basic skills. He explains that education must, “be enacted through transformative action in the classroom, the school, and the wider community.” 

Teachers are being instructed to encourage students to become activists. This philosophy has influenced the new standards for social studies curriculum. 

Parents need to know that in most states, districts do NOT have to accept these standards. Districts may write their own standards and they will, if parents require them to do so. 

Wednesday afternoon President Obama addressed students across the country in his 3rd annual back to school speech.  

His message encouraged students to discover their passions, work hard, take risks, and develop their skills.  

The video and transcript of his speech are below.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Everybody, please have a seat.  Well, Madam President, that was an outstanding introduction.  (Laughter.)  We are so proud of Donae for representing this school so well. 

And in addition, I also want to acknowledge your outstanding principal, who has been here for 20 years -- first as a teacher, now as an outstanding principal -- Anita Berger.  Please give her a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  I want to acknowledge, as well, Mayor Gray is here -- the mayor of Washington, D.C. is here.  Please give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  And I also want to thank somebody who is going to go down in history as one of the finest Secretaries of Education that we’ve ever had -- Arne Duncan is here.  (Applause.)   

Now, it is great to be here at Benjamin Banneker High School, one of the best high schools not only in Washington, D.C., but one of the best high schools in the country.  (Applause.)  But we’ve also got students tuning in from all across America.  And so I want to welcome you all to the new school year, although I know that many of you already have been in school for a while.  I know that here at Banneker, you’ve been back at school for a few weeks now.  So everything is starting to settle in, just like for all your peers all across the country.  The fall sports season is underway.  Musicals and marching band routines are starting to shape up, I believe.  And your first big tests and projects are probably just around the corner.  

I know that you’ve also got a great deal going on outside of school.  Your circle of friends might be changing a little bit.  Issues that used to stay confined to hallways or locker rooms are now finding their way onto Facebook and Twitter.  (Laughter.)  Some of your families might also be feeling the strain of the economy.  As many of you know, we’re going through one of the toughest economic times that we’ve gone through in our lifetime -- in my lifetime.  Your lifetime hasn’t been that long.  And so, as a consequence, you might have to pick up an after-school job to help out your family, or maybe you’re babysitting for a younger sibling because mom or dad is working an extra shift. 

So all of you have a lot on your plates.  You guys are growing up faster and interacting with a wider world in a way that old folks like me, frankly, just didn’t have to.  So today, I don’t want to be just another adult who stands up and lectures you like you’re just kids -- because you’re not just kids.  You’re this country’s future.  You’re young leaders.  And whether we fall behind or race ahead as a nation is going to depend in large part on you.  So I want to talk to you a little bit about meeting that responsibility. 

Have you had a nice summer?  Are you almost ready for school to start?  As American children are heading back to school, it might be good to talk a little about how our education system works. 
  
Up until the 1960’s, education was the responsibility of parents, and local and state leaders.   As the federal government has gotten more involved, it has led to:

• Skyrocketing costs
  
• Increased bureaucracy and red tape 
• Oppressive regulations
• Inappropriate and ineffective standards

This 4 minute video from the Heritage Foundation explains how this affects your family.

According to Alan Greenspan, “Baby boomers are being replaced by groups of young workers who have regrettably scored rather poorly in international educational match-ups over the last two decades....


"The productivity of the younger part of our workforce is declining relative to the level of productivity achieved by the retiring baby boomers. This raises some major concerns about the productive skills of our future U.S. labor force.”

Alas, Alan may be right.  But Patriotic Moms can make up the difference.  

It’s more important than ever before to take  responsibility for the education of our children.  We can’t just leave it to the schools and hope everything will turn out OK.  We can be actively involved and seek opportunities to teach and reinforce the important knowledge and skills our kids need.

A great nation is built one child, one home, and one day at a time.

"The eyes of the world being thus on our Country, it is put the more on its good behavior, and under the greater obligation also, to do justice to the Tree of Liberty by an exhibition of the fine fruits we gather from it." ~ James Madison