Rocklin, CA high school teacher Julianne Benzel asked a few simple questions of her students the day prior to the National School Walkout that happened this past Wednesday. She asked her class if all protests should be treated equally. She is now on paid administrative leave. Her crime? She dared to propose that students who would choose to walk out of school to protest abortion be allowed the same latitude and support as those participating in the National School Walkout, which was sponsored by the same folks who brought us the Women’s March. VG’s Toni detailed the link between the two events here.

As a former educator myself, I have to say that I found the walkout insanely disrespectful of the time of both students and instructors. Students were deprived of needed instructional time, instructors were deprived of the same. Not to mention I find it insanely Orwellesque when the state (these are public schools after all) is essentially instructing the children in their care to believe in their political agenda. The treatment of this teacher just underlines the myriad of horrific stories of educational institutions run amok. Remember when the taxpayers of California were forced to pay half a million dollars to protect Conservative speaker Ben Shapiro when he spoke at UC Berkeley? How about when a banana peel inspired an FBI investigation at American University about this time last year?

The teachers union in California is insanely strong and very liberal. When you visit their page you can see that they are not at all shy about publishing their political advocacy right on the landing page of their website. I doubt that the union will touch this woman’s case with a ten-foot pole. Thankfully Ms. Benzel appears to be fairly well off and has retained private counsel to represent her in this situation.

As we all know by now, daring to question the all-knowing “they” can be seriously hazardous to one’s career. Nowhere is that truer than in modern education (see video below). We have convoluted our education system so much with political correctness, it bears little resemblance to the education that you and I received as children a mere twenty years ago.

Civics knowledge by students is woefully lacking-just 25% of students reach the “proficient” standard of the NAEP civics assessment. What does the assessment cover? From their website:

“What are civic life, politics, and government?

What are the foundations of the American political system?

How does the government established by the Constitution embody the purpose, values, and principles of American democracy?

What is the relationship of the United States to other nations and to world affairs?

What are the roles of citizens in American democracy?”

We created this horrific situation as citizens by accepting the continued political indoctrination of our children in the public school system. How we correct it and enable our children to support what they believe instead of what the hive mind demands that they believe will prove to be an interesting road. I just hope that there continue to be teachers like Ms. Benzel who will rise to challenge our children to think for themselves and to do so critically.