Virginia parent running for school board to combat 'woke' agenda
Michael Rivera says he is running to be a member of the Loudoun County School Board with the goal of returning to 'pure academics' in schools.
A Virginia father is running for a seat on the Loudoun County School Board, which has faced immense criticism for its stance on teaching critical race theory, requiring masks in schools and a recent sexual assault case. Michael Rivera called the school system "toxic" and said he is taking action to change it.
Rivera is calling for a return to academics as political agendas are creeping their way into schools across the country.
"A lot of us sit around and we complain about what's going on in the government and local government and all sorts of other political actions, and we don't ever really get out of our comfort zone and do something," Rivera said on "Fox & Friends."
"We've got to do something. This is the life of our child. This is the life of the children in Loudoun County. And, as you can see, this is a trend that is across the entire United States."
Rivera announced his bid for school board at a meeting Tuesday night and said he received strong support from parents who agree that schools need to stop inserting politics into the curriculum
Parents and community members attend a Loudoun County School Board meeting, just 40 minutes from Fairfax (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
When asked why the school board is so liberal, Rivera refused to speculate about whether they were being influenced by teachers' unions.
"I just know that we need to absolutely get back to pure academics and really care about what the children want as opposed to what political forces are driving," he told Fox News’ Ainsley Earhardt.
GLENN YOUNGKIN VOWS TO BAN CRITICAL RACE THEORY IF ELECTED VIRGINIA GOVERNOR
The Loudoun County School Board reportedly spent $34,000 on critical race theory training for school administrators in 2020. As a result, an anti-CRT organization launched a $500,000 ad campaign criticizing the school board.
The same organization, Free to Learn Action, also launched $1 million in ads targeting former Governor Terry McAuliffe ahead of the state’s gubernatorial election. The ads highlight McAuliffe’s claim that he wants to "minimize" parents’ role in education.
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Rivera, however, believes parents should have a say in what their children are being taught.
"It is dystopian and disturbing to think that the state should be controlling our children's education solely without us having any influence on it," he said.
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