Parents preparing for the recent school year have more on their minds than just checking off back-to-school shopping lists, which, by the way, will cost more this year because of Joe Biden’s irresponsible tax and spending policies that have caused record inflation.
Instead, moms and dads across Ohio and the country are facing much bigger questions about their children’s well-being and education — questions that the huge hand of government is trying to dictate and control.
Will schooling be entirely in-person after a disastrous year of online learning?
Will wearing masks be mandatory for children?
Will vaccinations be required to return to school?
Will Critical Race Theory be taught in the school curriculum?
As I travel across Ohio, I see these issues as the most concerning to parents as they witness the government’s iron grip on our children, often using COVID as an excuse to exert more control and power.
But enough is enough. These are our children and their future. We must oppose and fight the left’s constant takeovers that put teachers’ unions and leftist ideology first and students last.
This means in-person learning, no recent mask mandates, no mandatory vaccinations, and no critical race theory.
It is up to parents to decide, in consultation with their doctor, whether they want their child to be vaccinated. It is up to parents to decide whether they want their child to wear a mask. And it is up to parents to decide whether they want their child to be exposed to radical teachings like Critical Race Theory.
Democrats are intruding on government policy where families should be – and as a mother and a candidate for the U.S. Senate, I think that is completely wrong.
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recent recommendation that children over the age of 2 should wear a mask to return to school, regardless of vaccination status, is insane. Joe Biden also ridiculously repeated this during a recent town hall meeting in Ohio, saying that all children under the age of 12 should wear a mask.
If we are to “follow the science,” why are we ignoring the science that says children are at incredibly low risk of getting COVID? Why are we ignoring the fact that there is no concrete evidence that masks are effective for 2-year-olds?
We know that children are at much greater risk of mental health problems and stunting if they are in remote locations or unable to interact with their peers. We know that children can connect better when they see smiles from their teachers and friends. And we know that learning is enhanced when children can communicate effectively and be immersed in their education.
The lost learning, lost socialization, and lost productivity of the past year cannot be underestimated and cannot be repeated. Their long-term effects have only just begun to come to airy.
While the devastating Chinese pandemic has brought our country and this world to its knees, one silver lining is that it has also allowed parents to see exactly what is happening in their children’s Zoom classrooms. Parents have woken up to the fact that in many ways our schools are failing our children. That’s why you see parents across the country—Republicans, Democrats, politically dynamic or not—standing up and fighting back on their local school boards.
The restrictive COVID-19 guidelines were often just the first impulse, and Critical Race Theory and recent government mandates were the final straw. As I like to say, they have irritated the mama and papa bear, and we will protect our children at all costs.
In the U.S. Senate, I will exploit my voice as a mother to always advocate for what is best for our children. I will be a staunch advocate for school choice and homeschooling options. No child should be confined to a school that fails them or teaches un-American values based solely on their zip code. I will fight to defund Critical Race Theory and stand up to leftist government abuses.
It’s time to bring education back to our children.
Jane Timken is the former chairwoman of the Ohio Republican Party and current candidate for the United States Senate.
