In the Market with Janet Parshall Chaos In The Classroom
Feb 24, 2026
Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president at Defending Education and former senior counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, breaks down controversies in schools and higher education. They explore federal complaints in Portland and Hawaii, Yale policy disputes, loopholes districts use after rulings, and practical steps parents can take to scrutinize curriculum and assert rights.
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Classrooms Are Becoming Sites Of Worldview Formation
- Classroom instruction has shifted from basic skills to normative worldview formation, creating a conflict between school curricula and parental religious values.
- Sarah Parshall Perry links this trend to social emotional learning and decades-long ideological shifts since the 1960s.
Montgomery County Parents Won Opt Out At Supreme Court
- Janet recounts the Montgomery County case where multi-faith parents successfully sued to opt their children out of LGBTQ materials.
- The Supreme Court affirmed parents' opt-out rights after local officials first approved then rescinded exemptions.
Use Federal Rights To Inspect Curriculum
- Ask to examine your child's curriculum and invoke federal rights to opt out when materials conflict with your beliefs or contain invasive survey questions.
- Use PPRA to demand curriculum access and ESSA to observe classes; file a complaint with the Dept. of Education if stonewalled.
