U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is headlining an assembly at a Colts Neck middle school on Friday, where she’ll be joined by representatives from a variety of national conservative groups, an event that’s drawn anger from officials and parents alike.
McMahon, the Donald Trump-appointed conservative who has downsized the federal Education Department, is touring schools across the country in partnership with the America First Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, and more. The Education Department said the tour, which stops at Cedar Drive Middle School on Friday, is meant to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday, though the overwhelmingly conservative coalition that’s helped to organize the tour has concerned some who worry about partisanship in schools.
Other groups involved in the tour include Moms for Liberty, the Heritage Foundation, and PragerU, a group that provides controversial educational material to several states that promotes conservative viewpoints.
MaryJane Garibay, the Colts Neck superintendent of schools, informed parents of the visit with a letter this week.
“We are honored that Cedar Drive Middle School has been selected to represent New Jersey in this meaningful, non-partisan initiative designed to inspire students’ interest in U.S. history and civic responsibility,” Garibay wrote. “This special event underscores our school community’s continued commitment to providing enriching and impactful learning experiences for our students.”
Garibay said Colts Neck Township Board of Education President Angelique Volpe performed “early outreach” to the Education Department to help secure the visit.
It’s that outreach that has drawn anger from state Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch), who chairs the Senate Education Committee and represents Colts Neck in Trenton. Gopal disavowed the town’s board of education, arguing they’ve worked to politicize Colts Neck schools while accusing their opponents of indoctrination.
“They are full of hypocrisy – talking about ‘indoctrination’ when they are illegally attempting to force these children to sit through a political event rather than getting their education,” Gopal said. “Dozens of Colts Neck parents have reached out to me, even many who actually hold very conservative beliefs, are outraged at what these politicians are doing to their kids.”
Garibay said the visit will include a whole-school assembly, a tour of the school, classroom visits, and a roundtable discussion.
The national tour, according to McMahon and the Department of Education, is meant to teach students about the nation’s founding principles, like liberty and patriotism.
“Turning Point USA, which includes Turning Point Education, is more resolved than ever to advance God-centered, virtuous education for students flourishing across our nation,” Hutz H. Hertzberg, the CEO of Turning Point Education, said in a press release. “With that in mind, we are honored to partner with the distinguished organizations that comprise the America 250 Civics Education Coalition to restore, revive, and reclaim robust American civics education for all students throughout our country.”
An unnamed person or group has launched an online petition to “Keep Propaganda Out of Classrooms,” though it doesn’t list how many have signed.
Garden State Equality, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group, criticized the visit in a Thursday press release. The group accused the Colts Neck Board of Education of canceling a scheduled meeting this week to dodge concerned residents and said the inclusion of groups like the Heritage Foundation is another step in the Education Department’s “war on LGBTQ+ students.”
“The list of initiative partners alone raises grave concerns about the presence of religious-based organizations infiltrating the public school system,” Garden State Equality said. “These organizations, such as the Heritage Foundation, have long records of waging culture wars against LGBTQ+ rights, diverse and inclusive curricula, and more. Through our schools and courts, they’ve attempted to reverse same sex marriage, promoted dangerous conversion therapy, and banning books containing characters who are different from the norm in any way.”
McMahon started the tour in Delaware and Pennsylvania this week, and there’s no sign that Friday’s event will be canceled.
“This event is organized by several political groups, and it places students in the middle of what is essentially political messaging, which is inappropriate and constitutes forced indoctrination,” Gopal said. “It is unacceptable that the kids are being thrown into the middle of politics and I share the parents’ outrage.”
