When did “protecting children” become code for attacking public education? As a concerned community member and parent, I feel compelled to shed light on troubling developments in our local educational governance.
Our community has witnessed the rise of a local Moms for Liberty chapter. They arrive at school board meetings claiming to champion student interests, but their actions reveal a different agenda. These are not genuine advocates but opportunists exploiting parental concerns to advance political objectives.
The chapter consistently claims they want “more parental involvement in education” while apparently remaining willfully ignorant of California’s existing laws that already mandate parental inclusion. Our education code requires schools and districts to actively engage parents. If these advocates genuinely cared about parent involvement, they’d be familiar with this and work constructively within existing frameworks and expanding them rather than creating divisive rhetoric.
When pressed about what specific information they lack access to, they offer nothing but recycled talking points that echo misleading narratives perpetuated by Joe Messina, a board member of the William S. Hart Union High School District. The pattern is clear: Manufacture outrage without substantive evidence.
Speaking of Messina, he and board colleague Bob Jensen have held their positions as board members for years, often with board majorities. Yet what tangible improvements have they delivered? Their tenure is marked not by educational advancement but by inflammatory statements designed to mobilize supporters. One must question: Is their goal actual educational improvement or political theater?
This concerning trend continues with Anna Griese on the Saugus Union School District board, who essentially won by default when the incumbent withdrew after the filing deadline. Her performance demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of governance – unable to distinguish between policy development and basic administrative functions. She positions herself as a student champion while lacking the foundational knowledge to fulfill her responsibilities effectively, or even remotely close to it.
These local seats demand our attention. The future of our educational system depends on informed voter participation, not on self-promoting individuals who prioritize headlines over substance. If you genuinely care about our students and community, I urge you to:
• Attend school board meetings to witness proceedings firsthand.
• Research candidates thoroughly before elections.
• Verify claims before accepting them as fact – a simple phone call to district administration can often clarify misinformation.
Our children deserve better than education policy driven by manufactured outrage and political ambition. They deserve advocates who understand educational governance, respect factual accuracy, and genuinely prioritize student outcomes over ideological battles.
Let’s commit to elevating the discourse around education in our community and demand better from those who claim to speak on behalf of our children.
Aarika Burden
Valencia
