Your Voice Matters
As 2023 wraps up I am reflecting on this past year. I’ve learned a lot, and sometimes (in the words of Bob Seger) I wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then. I ran for school board to try and improve a system I perceive to be broken. There is a very well-funded and powerful machine pushing education in the wrong direction. It’s hard not to feel like my efforts are futile.
We have a supermajority Democrat legislature in California. This means that our legislature has so many Democratic members that they can override a gubernatorial veto. This means the voices of moderate and right-leaning voters are not represented in our state capitol. The Democratic party in our state operates in lockstep—elected representatives in the party are united on every issue, regardless of whether it’s moderate or radical, and regardless of whether it serves the best interests of their constituents. If someone steps out of line, they’re stripped of committee assignments, sent to the “dog house,” and lose the opportunity to advance to higher political positions.
With this power and money comes control over messaging and framing of issues. Most media outlets adopt the party’s framing. They are very good at messaging, weaponizing empathy, and dehumanizing political opponents. This enables them to convince people who don’t have time to dig into an issue to support their stance. In my opinion, this is also what tears at the fabric of society today—convincing people that anyone who holds political opinions contrary to the official Democratic party narrative is hateful, evil, wrong and undeserving of respect or friendship.
The politics of education in California are hideously ugly. The loudest and most powerful voices—those in control—do not represent children or families. The national union playbook reveals dirty tricks that I never would have believed were real until I experienced them myself.
Over the last few weeks I’ve heard from at least ten different people in our community who feel like their voices do not make a difference. They don’t want to come speak at meetings or contact our district because they feel like they are not listened to or respected, and every public statement against the prevailing narrative comes with a social cost. I want you all to know that your voice matters, and you are being heard. It may feel like you are shouting into the wind sometimes, but every time you remind politicians about what kids need, and every time you provide common sense solutions to policies cooked up by radical politicians in Sacramento, you are putting a check on their power. You are letting them know that you are paying attention, and they know that they can’t keep getting away with radical crap when people are paying attention. You are showing like-minded people that it is OK to feel the way you feel, and giving others courage to speak up.
There is a lot to undo and reform in California. Please don’t give up. Many people have opened their eyes over the last few years, and if we continue to educate people and get them engaged in speaking up and voting, we can reform a broken system. Please don’t ever stop speaking up for your kids and for common sense. We need all of your voices.
Have a wonderful break and I’ll see you in January! As always, this is just one lady’s opinion. I don’t speak for the board and no one else speaks for me.
