Qanon/right wing radicals are taking over school boards across the country, where's the pushback?

[tenderfoot]

I keep seeing stories about this but have yet to see any response from the left.

What’s up with that?

[redstatebluegirl]

1. They are taking over our city too.

Mayoral candidate and her city council candidate boyfriend who attended the insurrection. We already have two of them on the council.

[MineralMan]

2. What response from the left do you expect?

The real question is: "Why are no individuals from the left running for those school board seats?"

That's how you prevent crazies from taking them over. That's the only way. What does "the left" have to do with it, whatever you think "the left" might be...

Did you run for school board in your school district? Did some Q person win a seat in it? That is how you push back. Nothing else will work, you see...

[tenderfoot]

3. That's what I was asking

But thanks for your unsolicited advice

[MineralMan]

8. It's not advice. Local offices like school board members are

not something any organization can do anything about. Instead, individual people in the jurisdiction must run for those seats if they want to make sure the crazies don't take over. It's really simple.

There is no "left," as a group, that will step in and make sure someone good is running for school board seats. Such a group does not exist. In most places, school boards are elected by a pretty small number of voters. Anyone can run for a seat on the schoolboard, just by filling out a form at the county clerk's office.

The point I'm making here is that, unless you run for the school board, or some other local office like that, there is no point in calling for "the left" to do something about right-wing assholes on school boards. Instead, run for a seat yourself if you are concerned about the make-up of your local school board.

School board are the epitome of an elected office that anyone can aspire to. Just run for your local school board the next time elections are held. Get elected and serve on your local school board. Don't want to do that? Well, then you're missing your only chance to control who gets elected, then.

There's lots of complaining about who gets elected, but very little effort being put into changing that. If school board membership concerns you where you live, run for the school board. Then, you know that your point of view will be represented.

See, that's what happens when you post a question that has no other answer than to tell you to run for that office if it bothers you. And there truly is no other answer.

[sheshe2]

22. Not sure of your response.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

You asked and solicited advise in your OP which I posted below and then when MM responded you said there response was unsolicited.

Qanon/right wing radicals are taking over school boards across the country, where's the pushback?
I keep seeing stories about this but have yet to see any response from the left.

What’s up with that?

This is a message board and people respond to the question asked or to a point that is made.

[Mr.Bill]

5. Well, you could go to their meetings

and scream at them.

[MineralMan]

9. LOL!

Or run for a seat on the board. What an idea, eh?

[JustAnotherGen]

18. Hey my area -

Last edited Fri Jan 14, 2022, 07:22 PM - Edit history (1)

We had an effective write in Campaign.

If you care - you will organize and get the candidate on the board. She won. We now have two Democratic Party members who didn't run as 'Democratic Party' members who won in a very very red part of New Jersey.

[MineralMan]

20. Exactly!

[librechik]

25. More like this please! nt

[maxsolomon]

4. I live in a major city that voted 80% for Biden & Clinton.

I can't do nothin' 'bout the school board in podunk. sorry, "real america".

[budkin]

6. Gotta say, Bannon is a master at organizing this push

His pardon was more consequential than almost any.

[tenderfoot]

7. I agree that this is a funded effort

eom

[MineralMan]

10. No, it's not. Instead, it is a party that understands that

it's really, really easy to get elected to such boards. So, the party is encouraging people to run for them. See, I'm encouraging you to run. I hope you do. Or for some other local minor office. Get on some county commission. Run for something. No time? No desire? Then, well, OK...but that's who gets elected. People who run. If nobody from the left runs, someone from the right will win. Every time.

[tenderfoot]

12. I don't have children or a background in education, therefore unqualified

I also live in an overwhelmingly progressive area. So why aren’t Democrats/Progressives responding in locations where shit like this is happening?

In other words, there has been no effort to stop the obvious ratfucking of public education.

[MineralMan]

17. I cannot answer your question. I'm also in a progressive area.

However, see this link. I posted this OP in response to the general question you raised:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216247923

[JustAnotherGen]

19. You don't need children or a background in education

Our write in candidate has grown children - but was pissed off at the anti anti-racism crowd hollering and yelling. So she ran - now we have someone to yell back at the racists. She's a nurse by education, but is a manager for an airline.

[Deminpenn]

11. The municipalities that make up

my school district are heavily R. Dems winning is not realistic here. The choice for school board this past Nov came down to RWers vs sane conservatives. The school board is comprised of members from 3 different regions. The rightwingers ran in their own regions, but as a block. They all won giving them a 5-4 majority on the board. Their first action was to make masks optional which wasn't a surprise. The bigger problem is going to be with finances because these 5 don't like paying taxes let alone raising them. My guess is that a huge fight over teacher pay and benefits is looming sooner rather than later and district building maintenance will be on a shoe-string. Should be fun.

[tenderfoot]

14. Thank you for explaining that

Sounds nuts 🔩

[Deminpenn]

23. The new mask optional policy was a fiasco

as the new 5 member block just enacted it without consulting the superintendent that we share with a neighboring school district or pretty much anyone else. This school district was formed from two districts, one with a k-12 and one with a 1-9 system because these municipalities wanted a more homogeneous district. The district likes to think of its education as superior and it is an above average school, but not great as the parents and teachers believe. This is why I anticipate a big clash between the taxophobes of the new board majority and the teachers who will want raises and benefits and the board majority that won't want to give them because that means raising property taxes. If teachers start bailing, then the quality of the education will dip creating a catch-22.

[no_hypocrisy]

15. B/c they don't identify themselves as

Thé John Birch Society.

[KT2000]

16. Our city council

Last edited Fri Jan 14, 2022, 10:35 PM - Edit history (1)

was taken over by Q people and they voted one mayor. People were not paying attention. The last election got rid of the Q people, the mayor was not up for election. The new council members elected a new mayor and the ex-mayor is the only Q person left.

It just needs to be publicized what their beliefs really are. In this town, the mayor on a radio show, talked about some of his Q beliefs - they can't keep their mouths shut - and it caused people to look closer at what they were actually doing. The pushback has to come from citizens participating in the process.

[MineralMan]

21. Good!

[Deminpenn]

24. Same thing happened in Dover PA when

creationists were voted onto the school board and tried to implement their religion-based science curriculum. As soon as the voters woke up, the creationists either resigned or were ousted at the next election.