Last night was the culmination of a community-led reform to take back our public schools from the social engineers and propaganda pushers who for too long have had free reign over the minds of our children.
I take comfort in knowing that none of this happened by accident. It was in fact a deliberate course of action that can be replicated in any community across Texas, so long as there are enough people willing to take a stand and take the heat that comes with it.
Reform began, as they all must, with the people. For so long, parents, guardians, and taxpayers sat back as their district slipped further and further away from their values and priorities. I was one of them. But we all have a breaking point—that moment of no return where you commit fully to doing something to make a change for the better.
So many of us reached that breaking point within the last several years. We started paying closer attention. We started organizing. We started showing up. They say, “government is run by those who show up,” and it could not be more accurate for our public schools. Take note.
But we were not embraced. In fact, we were maligned and pushed aside. The old guard felt they knew better than we did and why shouldn’t they? They were in control. They had won elections.
So we got serious about changing that. From our ranks, leaders stepped up to run for office. Leaders who understood that no one loses power willingly—that our character would be assassinated; that our names would be dragged through the mud. They would try to intimate us. Silence us. Frankly, they just tried to bully us.
But we pushed through and with the support of this community we upended the power structure—no longer were we petitioning our local government for redress of our grievances; we took control of our local government on a promise to address those grievances. It has been said that first you must build the army and then you can deploy it, and that is exactly what we did. We engaged this community and this community turned out when it mattered—to win elections for candidates of change.
It did not happen overnight, but in short order, we won enough elections to form a new majority. One that is responsive to the community and its needs and desires. We were no longer trying to influence the agenda. Now we were setting it.
What we achieved last night is the fulfillment of the promise of so much work by the people, but more importantly, it is the sustaining element of this revolution. Boards come and go. Elected officials retire or are retired by the voters. Policy endures.
By simply having a sane majority, we ensured nothing other than stopping the bleeding. We had to pass real meaningful reforms that fiercely addressed the issues this community cared about to truly turn this ship, and that is exactly what we have done.
If you are reading this from a community in which your local school board is more concerned with pushing their beliefs and worldview on your children than educating them, please know there truly is hope.
There are allies in your community. Engage them, organize them, and lead them. Win elections. It may not happen in one try, but do not relent and keep working to elect likeminded trustees until you have a governing majority. And when you have control, do not rest on your political victories—it is policy victories that will change the lives of your children.
It can be done. Last night is evidence of that. And we are just getting started. Keep the faith and fight the fight. We’re all with you.
Well done, GCISD!!
I’m so proud of Shannon, Tammy, Kathy, and Casey. They are indeed taking a lot of heat for doing the right thing.
https://rumble.com/v1gyqpp-run.html
Thank you for retuning the GCISD to moral, principled leadership that emphasizes academic goals and lets parents focus on the other cultural aspects that are properly addressed by them and only them .
A big thankyou to Shannon, Casey, Kathy and Tammy. Getting GCSID to focus again on academics is what the vast majority of your constituents want. Thank you again.
I want to thank our school board for their sensible and brave actions! I am a retired teacher after 30 years in this district. My children went K-12 in this district. One grandchild attended for 4 years and I currently have 2 other grandchildren attending. When my two grown children entered college at The University of Texas, I remember them coming home and being grateful for how well prepared they were due to their GCISD education. My children did not have to deal with all of these confusing topics! A school does not need to be a part of a political platform. It is about preparing our children for the future and protecting them. Our school board has accomplished this along with Southlake’s school board who also stood up for education. Had our school district failed to uphold education as our first priority, we would have seen our real estate values drop as many in our area would move to Southlake or leave public education for Christian schools. I know our school board has received a lot of criticism which tends to be very loud and negative. I also know that our school board was divided on this issue. It is my hope that the appreciation of the community will help those members who were against these reforms to see that there are many more citizens in favor of these reforms that stand with this decision. Most constituents are very proud and grateful that common sense has prevailed.
Very well said, Ms Wilson! I agree totally!
I have a honest question, for the parents who don’t agree with your decisions or feel silenced by your decisions on race, gender or identity issues, do you consider their rights as valid? I’m not a parent in your district, but I’m an African-American father and was active in my son’s education throughout their K-12 & college experiences in Michigan. I know that the content of historical education taught in their school districts didn’t touch on the depth of our national sins and wounds of transgression. My ex-wives and I had to make up the difference, but we did want the School systems here to explore the real details of our history. Dumbing down the injuries of history via State & Federal policies towards Non-White citizens doesn’t make our future better, it gives us a false premise to build upon. It’s like sending a running back out on the field with a broken leg, taped up & telling him to ignore the injury, just focus on the future. Where do parents like myself that do live in your school district go when you ignore their concerns? Are you so inhospitable that you only want parents who agree with your world view?
Also, what of the parents of transgender students? They love their children as much as you do, African American & Hispanic American parents love their children, yet your policies & desire to “return” to “traditional values” dehumanizes those parents & their children. How are their decision to want their children to be valued represent a break from traditional values? Also, does “traditional values” include African American & Hispanic American parents who are Christians & vote Democratic? Are they outsiders as well? Being involved in schools & ensuring an environment that lets your children be prepared for the world is important, yet it doesn’t allow you to impose your views upon other parents who want the best for their children but see a different path in policy to achieve those goals. Cheering your victory as a defeat of “untraditional values” elected officials also maligns the parents who voted for them & don’t accept that they are “untraditional values” parents. They have the same rights as you & you have to respect their views, unless you want a dictatorship & the elimination of parents with dissenting views & their children. If so, please claim it.