At the 2022 Teacher of the Year ceremony on Wednesday, President Biden said that schoolchildren are “all our children” — not just their parents’ children — when they’re in the classroom. Caroline Downey reports:
The comments struck a similar tone to that of former Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, when he made his now infamous remark last year that parents should not be involved in K–12 public education. On the campaign trail, he declared at a debate: “I’m not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decisions. I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”
Caroline is exactly right: Ever since Youngkin’s victory over McAuliffe, Republicans have recognized the electoral potential of parental rights. However, they ought to proceed with caution. “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake,” as Napoleon put it. As Democrats overreach, Republicans must appeal to moderates and hold the middle.