The Real Problem in Classrooms Isn’t Identity—It’s What’s Missing

The National Education Association’s upcoming “Advancing LGBTA+ Justice” training has sparked debate across the country. While the union claims the session aims to foster inclusivity, many parents, educators, and community leaders are asking a deeper question: Are we teaching our children the basics—or just the latest political trends?

Documents from Defending Education reveal the training will cover topics like gender pronouns, combating transphobia, and strategies to respond to concerns about transgender student athletes. These are not trivial matters, but they are not the core mission of public education. When a national teachers’ union dedicates significant time and resources to these subjects during a period of widespread academic decline, it raises legitimate concerns about priorities.

Recent data shows the reality: only 36% of fourth-graders are proficient in reading, and just 28% in math, according to the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress. These numbers reflect a growing crisis. Students are not mastering foundational skills. They are not learning how to read with understanding, write clearly, or solve basic equations. Yet, some school districts are investing in training that focuses more on identity politics than on literacy and numeracy.

This is not about denying dignity. Every child deserves respect and kindness. But respect does not require rewriting curriculum to push ideological narratives. True education builds character, strengthens minds, and prepares young people for real-world challenges. It does not replace math drills with discussions about gender identity, nor does it substitute reading comprehension with political awareness.

The growing divide between schools and families is real. Parents who value traditional values, parental rights, and academic rigor feel alienated when schools adopt policies that seem to dismiss their concerns. When educators are trained to counter conservative viewpoints or to manage gender transitions in classrooms, it can feel like their voices are being silenced. This divide harms students. When families and schools are at odds, students lose the stability they need to thrive.

We must ask: What kind of education do we want for our children? One that teaches them to think, analyze, and create? Or one that teaches them to conform to shifting social standards?

The answer is clear. Education should be about more than identity. It should be about excellence. It should be about equipping students with the tools they need to succeed in life—not in activism, but in work, citizenship, and service.

Let’s not mistake advocacy for education. Let’s not confuse political messaging with meaningful learning. Real progress comes from strong reading programs, rigorous math instruction, and teachers who focus on results, not rhetoric.

We can support all students—regardless of background or identity—without sacrificing academic standards. We can foster kindness and respect without turning classrooms into political forums.

The future of our nation depends on students who can read, write, and reason. Not on students who memorize pronoun charts or debate ideology in math class.

Let’s bring back the focus on what truly matters: teaching children how to learn, think, and lead. That is the real work of education.

Published: 11/21/2025