By Alice Linahan | 10.17.2015
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his post is dedicated to my dear friend Kenard Thompkins, a young man with whom I may not always agree politically. However, along with another dear friend, Pat Caddell, Kenard has taught me a valuable lesson: my battle is not always with those who hold different political views, but with the corruption and bureaucracy that daily impacts my children and their teachers in the classroom.As Kenard’s favorite Jay-Z quote goes: “When the grass is cut, the snakes will show.” Despite our differences, Kenard and I share one major passion—our love for Texas high school football. It may sound crazy, but I truly believe that the answer to saving America might just involve Moms, Dads, and Texas High School Football. This idea ties directly to Kenny Chesney’s song “The Boys of Fall”. The key to winning this battle lies in bringing people together as a community. It’s not about politicians—unless they are true “Servant Leaders” like Scott Turner, who once ran for Speaker of the Texas House.
Scott, a man who understands the accountability of game film, reminds us that real power lies with the people. As he so aptly said, “America and Texas deserve so much more than a ‘containment mentality.’” Unfortunately, many local school district administrators are operating with just such a mindset, bowing to the pressures of state and federal overreach.
As parents, we must rise above this. After watching the short video below, I hope you feel inspired to take action. We must come together to protect our children and stop those who seek to harm their future.
Nothing brings a community together quite like Texas High School football. Whether you’re the kid in the band performing at halftime, the cheerleader rallying the crowd, or a member of the dance team, everyone plays a role in the shared goal: to WIN. Kenny Chesney captures this spirit perfectly.
Our children will no longer be that kid from Argyle, Celina, or Keller, Texas—the football star, the cheerleader, or the drum major. Education is being transformed by 21st Century Learning, shifting the focus away from the transmission of knowledge that parents still expect, to an agenda that seeks to alter students’ worldviews, values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. This raises a critical question: Whose values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors will they adopt?
If we continue to accept the false promises of government-regulated “School Choice” and College and Career Readiness, we will hand over control of the values, beliefs, behaviors, and worldviews taught in even our private schools to the federal government through the state. The way to fight back is to reclaim our local schools and communities by reconnecting with what made them strong in the first place—the lessons learned from a community united around High School Football. Dare I say, this is the American Way.
What’s happening in education today is incredibly dangerous. If the traditional public school system collapses, we stand to lose much more than schools—we risk losing the very heart of our Constitutional Republic. Local control, the ability to elect school board members accountable to the community, and the power to protect the hearts and minds of our children will disappear. Parents, teachers, and coaches—those closest to America’s children—will no longer have a say.
If parents and taxpayers paused to pay attention, they would see the writing on the wall. Our traditional K-12 public schools are being set up to fail, and policies like AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) are the tools being used to dismantle them. But here’s the truth: Local compliance does not equal local control.
In the past, kids used to fail—not schools. Today, 21st Century Learning might look appealing on the surface, but make no mistake—it’s steering us down a very dangerous path. We must act now to protect our children, our schools, and our communities before it’s too late.
In the Past Kids Used to Fail – NOT SCHOOLS!
