Capital Prayer Alert -- 9/10/23

As you know, my wife, Carol, prepares a monthly prayer alert. I hope you will share Carol's thoughts with your friends and fellow worshipers. Thank you for taking an interest in her monthly devotion. -- Gary

Families are moving into a new season. School has started, kids are enjoying fall sports, extracurricular school activities are underway. With the new school year comes our responsibility as parents and grandparents to engage with the young ones in our lives about what they are learning at school.

Gone are the days when you could drop your child off at school, feeling comfortable in the knowledge that what they would be taught in the classroom would mirror the beliefs and values you were teaching at home.

As parents, you trusted educators to teach American history through the lens of pride in our country, which was not perfect but was continually improving and has accomplished great things.

You trusted the educational system to teach only the basics of human biology, which have stood the test of time. Two sexes observed at birth and no gender fluidity to scramble a young child’s mind.

You trusted the school and community librarian to offer only age-appropriate materials to their young charges. They knew it was not their role to guide children to sexually explicit material that would make adults on the school board blush or to books based on Marxist thinking that would drive a wedge between races.

Sadly, the days of assuming schools are teaching the beliefs and values held dear by your family are behind us.

There’s virtually nothing good that came out of the COVID era. But, interestingly, the need for parents working from home to also oversee their children’s online education was a real wake-up call for many parents.

They watched or overheard content in curricula which was troubling at best. And, because their children were close-at-hand, they had the opportunity to talk with their kids about what they were seeing and hearing. It was an eye opener … and not in a good way.

What I find most fascinating and disturbing is that this situation did not lead the educational establishment to a season of self-reflection and chastening. Instead, it put them on a fast-forward trajectory which continues today.

School systems are discouraging and resisting parental input, ignoring guidance from pro-parent governors, thumbing their collective noses at traditional values and neglecting the basics. Curricula are laced with race, victimhood and anti-Americanism.

I assume I have your attention now and that, sadly, you can relate to what I have described.

The good news is that all of the above is now out in the light of day and parents are getting organized to make their collective voices louder. May I encourage you to find or start a group of like-minded parents in your child’s school?

And, on a most personal level, keep the lines of communication with your children and grandchildren open. Now that they are back in the classroom the only way you will know what is being taught is by engaging in conversations, listening to what they say and overseeing homework assignments.

I remember that carpool times were often the best way to learn what was happening in school! The kids could forget that you were even in the car and much could be learned by just listening.

Skimming through textbooks and proofing homework assignments is an easy way to stay on top of what is being taught. And when you find concerns, talk to other parents and join together to meet with school officials (teachers, administrators, guidance counselors) and elected school board members.

Finally, this is one time that social media can be your friend by connecting you with like-minded parents and giving you a bigger bullhorn to spread the word and make a difference.

Heavenly Father, you have entrusted the generations to come to us. You gave many of us the opportunity to grow up in a less complicated time when schools shared the priorities and value systems of most parents. Times have changed and we as parents and grandparents must recognize the new reality.

Open our eyes to see the new priorities driving education. Prompt us to be curious and brave. Help us to be engaging conversationalists with the young ones in our lives. Give us opportunities to share our wisdom and humor wrapped in love. Open their hearts to hear.

When the time comes to engage with a teacher, administrator or school board member grant us wisdom, make us articulate and winsome and remind us that we do what we do as parents for our kids who are created in Your image and entrusted to our care. May we feel Your presence beside us.