Podcast Summary
A Personal Journey into the Origins of the Parental Rights Movement: Will Estrada, head of parentalrights.org, shares his personal experience of growing up homeschooled and how it shaped his involvement in the parental rights movement, challenging the common perception of angry parents at school board meetings.
The podcast "First Person" from The New York Times Opinion features personal conversations with people whose lives intersect with the news, providing unique insights into their beliefs. In a recent episode, Lulu Garcia Navarro speaks with Will Estrada, the head of parentalrights.org, about the origins of the parental rights movement. Contrary to the common perception of angry parents protesting at school board meetings, Will's story reveals that the roots of parental rights go back to his own homeschooled upbringing in a rural area. His parents, a public school teacher and an IBM employee, chose to homeschool their eight children due to their concerns about the quality of education. Despite opposition from grandparents and societal perceptions, Will's family provided him with a strong foundation that influenced his later involvement in the parental rights movement. This conversation highlights the importance of understanding the personal stories behind the news and the complex motivations driving social movements.
HSLDA's Role in Homeschooling Rights: The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) was instrumental in ensuring homeschooling families' legal rights during the late eighties and early nineties, providing reassurance and protection against challenges.
For many homeschooling families, especially during the late eighties and early nineties, the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) played a pivotal role in ensuring the legal right to homeschool. Homeschooling parents, like Will's, faced challenges and fears about the legality of homeschooling. HSLDA, founded by influential conservative lawyer Mike Ferris, provided reassurance and protection. With a presence in Washington D.C., HSLDA monitored and advocated for homeschoolers' rights at the federal and state levels. Homeschooling families relied on their rights to choose what's best for their child or their religious freedom, and HSLDA defended these rights. The organization grew into a mythos for the homeschool community, providing a sense of security and inspiring future lawyers like Will. Will's respect for HSLDA's advocacy influenced his decision to become a lawyer and attend a Christian law school.
Will's early education experience influenced his career in homeschooling advocacy: Will's online education at Oak Brook College of Law prepared him for a career advocating for homeschooling rights. He became the HSLDA's top lobbyist on Capitol Hill, implementing successful programs despite unfavorable political climate.
Will's early education experience at Oak Brook College of Law shaped his career in advocating for homeschooling rights. Starting from his home, he attended an entirely online program, interacting with professors only once a year. For the first two years, he lived with his parents. His academic journey was marked by a few in-person weeks at the college and long periods of online learning. Upon graduating, Will landed a job as a paralegal at the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). There, he met his wife and later became the HSLDA's top lobbyist on Capitol Hill at a young age. His tenure began just before the Democrats took control of Congress in 2006, which brought new challenges. Despite the unfavorable political climate, Will embraced the challenge and implemented strategies like the Congressional Action Program, which brought homeschooling families to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers. The program's success relied on careful vetting of families to ensure they could effectively represent homeschooling on Capitol Hill.
Building relationships with politicians for homeschooling rights: The HSLDA shifted from a controversial image to building relationships with politicians by being relatable and engaging, resulting in influential advocacy for homeschooling rights.
The Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has gone from being seen as a controversial and potentially intimidating group to building relationships with influential politicians through a more relatable and engaging approach. This shift was demonstrated in the late 1990s when George Miller, a congressman who had previously opposed homeschooling, became a friend and advocate for homeschoolers after building a relationship with HSLDA families. However, opponents argue that the HSLDA's passionate and sometimes overzealous supporters can give homeschooling a negative image. Despite this, the HSLDA continues to advocate for homeschooling rights and showcases the success stories of homeschooled students to win over skeptics. The use of tactics like sending cookies to legislators and engaging in respectful dialogue has proven to be more effective in influencing policy than a more confrontational approach.
Parental rights: The freedom to love, raise, protect, and care for one's child: Parental rights extend beyond education and homeschooling, encompassing the freedom to raise and care for one's child until they reach adulthood. The government can intervene when parents egregiously violate their children's welfare.
While parents have the fundamental right to direct their children's education and upbringing, this right is not absolute. The government has a compelling interest to intervene when parents egregiously and demonstrably violate their children's welfare. This idea of parental rights as a fundamental freedom became more prominent in recent years, and for Will, it was a concept he first encountered during his law school studies. The phrase "parental rights" goes beyond homeschooling and education, encompassing the right to raise and care for one's child until they reach adulthood. It's a concept that means different things to different people in our diverse country but ultimately boils down to the freedom to love, raise, protect, and care for one's child.
Parents' Rights in Education: The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased parental involvement in education, sparking debates over mask mandates, library criteria, controversial lessons, vaccine mandates, and privacy issues. Parents became politically engaged, influencing education decisions through activism and advocacy.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to virtual learning transformed the education landscape, giving parents a closer look at their children's education and igniting a movement around parental rights. Prioritizing an end to mask mandates and school library criteria, parents became politically engaged, speaking out at school board meetings and advocating for their choices. The pandemic exposed concerns over controversial lessons and materials, vaccine mandates, and privacy issues. This movement, previously considered non-political, gained momentum and became a clear opportunity for parents to assert their influence in education decisions. The political power of parents and children in fighting for their beliefs was once again highlighted during the Glenn Youngkin vs. Terry McAuliffe governor's race in Virginia.
Parental rights in education take center stage in Virginia gubernatorial race: Parents' concerns over school curriculum and policies led to a shift in power towards parental rights in education, with Glenn Youngkin's victory marking a turning point.
The 2021 Virginia gubernatorial race between Glenn Youngkin and Terry McAuliffe highlighted the importance of parental rights in education. Parents' concerns over what is taught in schools, including critical race theory and mask mandates, significantly influenced the election outcome. The victory of Youngkin, who made education a central issue, marked a turning point for parental rights in education. This shift was further emphasized when the chairman of parentalrights.org called the speaker to join their organization, marking a new chapter in the evolution of parental rights, encompassing a wide range of issues from remote learning to curriculum control. The speaker saw this moment as a historical one, with potential long-lasting implications.
Parental Rights in Education: A Missed Opportunity for Political Unity: Both Democrats and Republicans can benefit from embracing parental rights in education as a bipartisan issue, finding a balance between respecting individual parental rights and promoting a community understanding of what's best for children.
The ongoing debate around parental rights in education is a missed opportunity for political unity, as both Democrats and Republicans could benefit from embracing this issue. Terry McAuliffe expressed his concern that the Democratic Party is currently perceived as opposing parental rights, while Republicans are seen as supporting them. However, parental rights should be viewed as a bipartisan issue. The Florida Parental Rights in Education bill, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, serves as an example of the complexity of this issue. While some argue that it protects children from inappropriate discussions, others see it as limiting teachers' ability to create inclusive classrooms. Ultimately, it's essential to consider how best to support parents in their role as their children's primary educators while ensuring that all students receive a quality education. The challenge lies in finding a balance between respecting individual parental rights and promoting a community understanding of what's in the best interests of children.
School board races shape education policies, including representation of diverse families: School boards impact policies, requiring balance between community values and education. Controversial issues should not overshadow quality education and respect for families.
Public schools reflect the values of their communities, making school board races crucial in shaping education policies. This includes representation of diverse family structures like LGBT families. Parental involvement is essential to ensure classrooms are safe spaces for all students. However, it's important to strike a balance between community values and the role of public schools as institutions for education, not indoctrination. Controversial issues, such as gender affirming care, should not be the focus of schools, which should instead focus on providing a quality education and respecting the role of families and their communities.
Parental Rights and Transgender Children in Texas: Respect parents' rights, collaborate with medical professionals, and approach investigations with caution when dealing with transgender children's care in Texas
Parental rights are a fundamental right in the United States, and any actions that infringe upon these rights, such as investigations that could lead to the removal of children from their parents' care, should be approached with caution and through less restrictive means. The ongoing controversy in Texas regarding the care of transgender children is a complex issue, and while there may be concerns about the care being provided, it is crucial to respect parents' rights and work collaboratively with medical professionals to find solutions. The ACLU, as an organization, is aware of the issue and is looking into it, but they are focusing on more bipartisan issues that avoid the culture wars' extremes. The history of parental rights in the Supreme Court supports this perspective, and conservative courts, including those in Texas, have recognized this principle.
The Power of Teamwork and Collaboration: Success is achieved through teamwork and collaboration, where each member brings unique skills and perspectives to the table, and recognizing and expressing gratitude for others' contributions is essential.
Learning from this episode of First Person is the importance of teamwork and collaboration in achieving success. The team, consisting of Courtney Stein, Christina Giosa, and Jason Pagano, worked together to create something meaningful. They were supported by the contributions of Christina Samilewski, Shannon Busta, Kate Sinclair, Jeffrey Miranda, Paula Schuman, Irene Noguchi, Patrick Healy, and Katie Kingsbury. This episode underscores the power of a diverse and dedicated team, where each member brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. It also highlights the importance of recognizing and expressing gratitude for the contributions of others. To hear more inspiring stories of individuals and their teams, tune in to First Person and subscribe to your preferred podcast platform.
