Just when you think you’ve seen everything, something happens to prove how foolish that belief happens to be. That’s especially true when it comes to our public schools and the elected members of local school boards. Forgotten are the promises made to parents and children to educate our kids, replaced by identity politics, social justice, and–unfortunately–ill-conceived and thought out activities (and I use that term loosely). Where it’s going to end is a question many of us want answered. Instead, we get justifications, excuses or silence. Is it any wonder parents are looking for alternatives to sending their children to public schools?

The latest insanity comes from an officially sanctioned fundraiser at Deer Creek High School in Oklahoma. Since they say a picture is worth a thousand words, this video is worth several million.

https://twitter.com/wsuares/status/1763684093177348114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1763684093177348114%7Ctwgr%5E7d0fbd0572a48174cdb4044177bdf93bececcacb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2024%2F03%2F02%2Fus-news%2Foklahoma-teens-lick-each-others-toes-at-school-sanctioned-event-video-shows%2F

I’ll admit that my first thought watching the video was to hope the feet being licked and toes being sucked had been washed ahead of time. Then I wondered if anyone thought to check to make sure the students on the sucking and licking end were allergic to peanuts. Can’t you just imagine getting a phone call from the school saying your darling son or daughter was in ER after sucking someone’s toes during an assembly TO RAISE MONEY? Then reality set in and all I could do was wonder WTF were the powers-that-be thinking to let this happen.

Who thought this would be a good idea?

Who was foolish enough to think that in a high school full of cellphones, someone wouldn’t video it and release it into the wilds of the Internet?

While I applaud the school and its students for doing different activities to raise money for a local coffeeshop that hires special needs individuals, someone needed to apply some common sense to those activities. This is exactly the sort of activity that brings unnecessary–and negative–attention to the school and its students. Attention that now looks to be leading to a state investigation.

Not that the administration’s response to the uproar helped explain what happened and why any more than it accepted any real responsibility:

We want to stress to our community that much of the information accompanying this video is inaccurate. However, through this specific game we failed to uphold the dignity of our students and the proud image of our community. We have a responsibility to protect our Antlers and showcase them in a positive light. In regards to this one particular activity, we fell short and for that we greatly apologize.”

Unfortunately, Deer Creek isn’t the only public school in the middle of a controversy that could have been so easily avoided if only the administration acted like, well, adults. The Keller ISD in Texas has been up to its proverbial neck in controversies of late. Unlike the Deer Creek situation, in Keller politics played a huge role in the latest problems. In the last month, the district canceled production of “The Laramie Project”, a play based on what happened to Matthew Shephard’s murder. Oh, but it will allow the students to study the play in class. But to produce it? Nope. Instead, it wants something it deems is of more interest to the paying public. While the district says it is more a question of public desire (read willingness to buy tickets), past actions by the district lead to one conclusion: the decision was a political one.

It is the silencing of one point of view in favor of another. Even if it is your point of view being favored, does that make the action right? And before someone says that, as a parent, you wouldn’t want your child taking part in such a production, all I can say is that is your right. It is a decision you, as the parent, should make (hopefully in consultation with your teen).

But that’s not the only problem facing the Keller ISD. Two members of the school board brought in a foreign film company, allowed that company access to one of the high school campuses–and its students. The film company did not go through established procedures to be cleared for access (read background checks). Parents weren’t notified of their presence. Nor were parents given the chance to give permission (or not) for their students to be interviewed.

In fact, on a day when it was known the principal would be off-campus, the film crew was given access to the school. It was even accompanied by a member of the school board. That trustee has since resigned. However, another trustee who worked with her on this remains in his position on the board.

And the parents are beyond angry.

Students are angry.

And so are teachers. Mere days ago, an engineering teacher in Keller ISD appeared at the school board meeting and spelled it out.

These schools and their district administrators aren’t the only ones that seem so mired in foolish decisions, some based on the personal politics of their board members. Around the country, school districts are mired in controversies that have little to nothing to do with the actual education of our kids.

Just as we shouldn’t be forcing a liberal agenda on our kids through their so-called public education, we shouldn’t go to the opposite end of the spectrum. Like it or not, schools are supposed to help teach our kids to think for themselves. That means they need to learn to listen to, analyze, and determine the strengths and weaknesses of ANY political, social, economic, etc., stance.

Sen. Ted Cruz, responding to the Deer Creek incident, said “this is child abuse.” That opinion is shared by a number of people. Others were left scratching their heads, trying to understand why incidents like the ones we’ve seen recently continue to happen. That’s a question each of us should ask.

Parenting should come from parents, not from Big Brother masquerading as local school boards. That’s most definitely the case when, as illustrated in what happened at Deer Creek, those in positions of power don’t set the example as adults and not tweens who think it’s funny to lick and suck peanut butter from someone’s feet during a school assembly. As primary season continues, think about your local schools. Are you happy with who is running them? If not, maybe it’s time to vote them out.

Featured image: created by Amanda S. Green using Midjourney AI