Power to the Parents? The Culture Wars Come to School

At first blush, this year might be considered the year of parental power, with the proliferation of parental bills of rights across the country that put limitations on what can be taught in public schools and allow objecting parents to seek removal of books from the school library. These bills and similar legislation purport to provide parents a greater voice in their children’s education, but they have opened a new front in the culture wars and often pit parents against educators. What’s behind these initiatives, and are they reflective of real disagreements about our national historical narrative or the direction of American education? How are they impacting our schools, our laws, and our politics? And what, if anything, can we do about it?
This conversation was part of the 2022 Aspen Ideas Festival.
Speakers:
Renee DiResta, Technical Research Manager, Stanford Internet Observatory
David French, Senior Editor, The Dispatch; contributing writer, The Atlantic
Jane Coaston, Host, “The Argument” podcast; Opinion Writer, The New York Times
Esau McCaulley, Assistant Professor of the New Testament, Wheaton College; Theologian in Residence, Progressive Baptist Church, Chicago
Now in its 18th year, the Aspen Ideas Festival is the Aspen Institute’s signature summer public event. Among the key themes explored at this year’s festival are conversations around the concepts of Heat, Power, Connection, Trust, Money, and Beauty.
From June 25-July 1, 2022 more than 300 leaders and innovators gather in the Rocky Mountains to engage in deep and inquisitive discussion of the issues that shape our lives and challenge our times, spanning politics, business, science, the arts, education, and more. #AspenIdeas
For more information about the Aspen Ideas Festival, visit www.aspenideas...