Sticking to the FACTS

Family policy matters and engaging and informative weekly radio show and podcast produced by the North Carolina family policy Council hi this is John Ralston, presidency, family, and were grateful to have you with us for this week's program is our prayer that you will be informed, encouraged and inspired by what you hear on family policy matters and that you will flow better equipped to be a voice of persuasion for family values in your community, state and nation, and now here's our house to family policy matters.

Tracy Devitt Griggs thanks for joining us this week for family policy matters.

She that's gotten quite a bit of attention lately by our new Lieut. Gov. Mark Robinson according to the Lieut. Gov.'s website, rockets, and has launched a task force to support parents, teachers and students who are quote willing to stand up for North Carolina's future by exposing indoctrination in the classroom and ensuring that our students are taught how to think, not what to think."

Or excited to welcome Lieut. Gov. Mark Robinson to the show today to discuss his new fax task force Mark Robinson.

Welcome to family policy matters. Also joining us today is NC families Pres. John Ralston hello John Tracy, I will. Folks, we are being treated to the opportunity to listen in on a conversation between these two men on this new task force and what that might mean to those of us who have family and friends in the public school system in North Carolina to John take it away. What's your first question for Lieut. Gov. Gray Wolf registration first. Just thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to be with us today and for your service to the state of North Carolina course the position of lieutenant governor carries a wide array of duties and responsibilities.

Today we really want to try to focus specifically on the area of education. In your role as a member of the state Board of Education. Lieut. Governors we start, what is your overall impression of education here in North Carolina now that you have a somewhat new role in perspective, the government well all forcefulness.

I do not believe that multilevel health welcome absolute fantastic teachers of the best teachers in the country. All right. We'll probably have some of the best educational systems we could you give it dedicated to the job and dedicated to the base of their oh want to say that about that while out serving as lieutenant governor wanted to go and so law field. In general, our education system. But, is all formfitting to have the electric 15,000 TM when Republicans took over the legislature and made education a priority. Start giving our teachers raises that, but I do think there are a lot of things we need to work on education. The will make you think that we just talk about on. Fortunately, there are people who are in the classroom feel the need to share probation.

It does not need to be sure when the law student should be. They should be personal. Now the fax task force and fax is an acronym that stands for fairness and accountability in the classroom for teachers and student so the fax task force which you have created has a very specific purpose talk about that little bit. What prompted you to create this task force. Well, you know.

For years I've known that this indoctrination existed in the classroom and they would like a small example of a thing of what I didn't realize how widespread it was the talk became apparent that the water became apparent how everywhere we went we found travel despite we heard about these things as lieutenant governor. We continue to hear about them and then I begin to see some of some of it up close and personal. Attended my first school board meeting. They got inside look at some the things in the general good of the pushed at the state level and so is very displaying immediately.

Things are going well and again sure about it all the time. Everybody talks about all the time.

The problem is, it didn't seem that anyone was really making a move to do anything about. And that is why we start this task will start this past. Teachers and students. I place where they could bring their complaints and not have them heard actually figure out a way to do something about this.

This is a problem not just in North Carolina. It is a problem all across the country and it is not just about indoctrination in the classroom.

It's also about boxing the classroom with about five Sadoski were conservative voices. Christian voices are being pushed out the conversation not being allowed departed conversation and we've got to change that. We've got to make sure that everybody in the classroom abhors that everybody in the classroom is fairly I know in this country always tried to do that and we need to do it in education as well so that the purpose of the taxes will you have been such a great leader and an outspoken leader in this realm and were so grateful for that.

I know a lot of these issues really came to light not terribly hung ago when the state Board of Education was considering new standards for the social studies curriculum in North Carolina. Can you talk about that little bit.

We are so distant the standard for those who may not understand now that the state school board creates a set of standards, the standards state what students should know at the end of each grade level. I didn't DPR textile standards and use those standards to create primary sources teaches the usability carry out their curriculum in the classroom. The standards that we had originally. I am not doing them before but they must never very good standard you know they were very straight to the point.

Anyone read them could understand the was really no question about some folks. Objective standards for some reason and demanded that some of this so-called justice language be placed you reading all little standards they read like popping one school member described in the document title called 10 reasons why America is a bad place. I mean, not really divisive line which expanded America's systematically right which is just not true diametrically opposed the language the substance and tone in these boats tentatively stood up against the mellow standards were Pat and not be used in our in our school system, but that was not the end of the fight were going to continue to try to pull education back away from these be honest with right now. We have a lot of people left left is in our education system but they don't look like lamp pushed all personal agendas and are going to continue the flight to Brussels.

I wake get education back to a place where should some kind of response. Have you received since you created this task force. I remember that we were doing actually doing a story on it to alert people to it and the website was down and the mainstream media came out and said well maybe he's given a second thought. Our understanding was that there was so much traffic on the website that it had to be taken down in order to reinforce it so that it can handle higher level of traffic so what what have you seen in relation to the development of this task force and is close across the state have learned more about it. The information is coming in faster. Help us come and advise. People of color all across the state really come from across the country asking what they can do to help this effort as a matter fact it is bigger than we ever expect that we are steadily moving forward, collecting the information that once we collect information, we will all sit down will categorize it did look over the and will will highlight the things we feel like we need to highlight and then will take the next step in presenting the information to the necessary parties and we we don't really know what that's gonna look like it because we have not decided without a lot of options on what we could do and so once we get this information collected and get it all organized. I would like to get to be a part entity to brief you like, it is appropriate to present it and never gonna move with trying to build some solutions that I truly believe that we are going to have to solve this issue. If we do not believe that there's going to be a mass exodus for public education in this nation. I really do. Parents are no longer going to teach their children yell at home how to be good Christians how to be good patriots good American and have been sent out school to be basically programmed to be socialist or not to do it anymore and that the public education system in this country have done wonders fabric of our society we not need to could allow it to continue to do that but the only way we can do that if the public education system is about the business of education, we cannot continue to allow this indoctrination to rule. While public schools. We've got to stop and I couldn't agree more.

Now some may think that concerns about indoctrination, discrimination and harassment only apply to students, or may only apply to students. Ministry writers and teachers and other school personnel can face the same challenges camping absolutely. We have examples of students we have examples of teachers that would make the total scope we have examples of school board members, administrators all have been victims of either five.

The student sit in trainings where they're told that their rights that the Gold on the this is happened in the call education to parents, teachers and students and administrators want to think that I think really feel. I think that we could see a lot of change in school systems across the state, across the country. If parents get involved at the local level, go to school meetings. Find out who the representatives are find out about the decisions that make find out what they're pushing what their support and if you are divested opposed to pushback. You have the opportunity ever since the growth municipality to have your voice heard.

Make your voice out get involved at the local level Volga stop you getting by, because unfortunately it's being done while parents were at work a lot parents are at home with their lives and the bureaucratic meeting without a backlash from the parent since the since of doctors, to be deleted and making aborts are not think they do that to start doing out on a massive scale and making folks realize they have somebody they have to answer to.

I think we'll see a lot of change plus you don't quite off the epic folks to start looking at what it was so pleased with this and we need start make sure that we have to consult all the gaps in pushback well and I think parents often underestimate significantly the impact they can have that they come together. If they organizes group teacher saying in the local communities and MA get engaged but they got to be in the form they got to know who their city Council members are, who their local Board of Education members are the county commissioners are not only their state legislators, members of Congress and Gov. and Lt. Gov. for that matter, but parents really can have a significant impact. But they've got to be engaged in. That's one of the things that we agree so much about Lieut. Robinson. You came into this role. In the middle of a global pandemic and we seen a lot of interesting and unique circumstances and ways of dispensing education and instruction in our state. Over the past year. What are some of the positive lessons or developments that you have seen in the educational arena in North Carolina during this past year.

I think the one the positive things that I've seen is just how much students enjoy going to school.

I mean, we see students eager to get back to school, you know, we have this prevailing thought that students hate school thing in pop culture with a stated type only eight teachers that is not the case.

The students will really love school and want go to school and enjoyed the class at the class: they want to be around her friend that you want to sit in class and learn the left always get things and that's one of the good things we sing another thing that they could we say to people are willing to stand up and fight for the school. We have people all across the state who are committed heavily committed on not just the things that I'm talking about here about this indoctrination but are committed to making sure that our kids get back into the classroom to fight for every day so I think all wall that's probably the two things that I've seen this positive thought during his pandemic is how much he saying that you love school go back to school with and how to target parents are to make sure that this does affect the students at the school again. What I truly encouraging Tracy. I know that were just about out of time so I'm in a three things back to you now, but Lieut. Gov. wanted to thank you so much for your time and for your insights in this conversation today. It's really helpful and were are grateful for your perspective.

So I would assume that people can just keep an eye on a website possibly just keep up with what your task force is doing absolutely. They can keep what will our Facebook page. They can keep up on the website.

The Lieut. Gov.'s website and that is LT GOP cell LT God.NC.gov\fax Lieut. Gov. Mark Robinson, thank you so much for being with us today on family policy matters even listening to family policy matters. We hope you enjoyed the program in plenitude and again next week to listen to the show online and to learn more about NC families were to inform, encourage and inspire families across Carolina go to our website it NC family.work that's NC family.org. Thanks again for listening and may God bless you and your family