The National School Board Association (NSBA) is reportedly on the verge of disintegration due to its participation in characterizing angry parents as domestic terrorists and its collaboration with Biden’s Department of Justice. Republican-majority states are leaving the association in droves and six out of the 19 board members have resigned since the emergence of the controversy, as a new executive director scrambles to appease the departing states.
NSBA facing collapse
The letter sent by the NSBA to the White House asking for federal intervention to silence criticism from parents reacting to critical race theory and other controversial subjects would be bad enough on its own.
Emails obtained by activists through FOIA requests, however, indicate that the NSBA actually sent the letter in response to a request from the Biden administration.
While the association is probably irretrievably broken already, if it is true that the letter was sent in obedience to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona then there would be irrefutable proof that the NSBA is nothing more than a political tool for the Democrats.
The organization’s new executive director apparently knows how bad the damage is; John Heim simply said that he hopes the departing states will pause to “give us a chance.”
This is a major shift in rhetoric from a few months ago, when the NSBA was threatening to call in the FBI to crush dissent and describing its opponents as domestic terrorists.
The association has already tried to apologize for the wording of that letter, claiming that it regrets that it was sent before it could be more thoroughly reviewed and approved.
Red states move to form rival association
For the Republican states which have decided to leave, this apology is too little too late. The fact that the statements of regret appeared after the association began to collapse, rather than immediately after the letter was sent speaks to their sincerity.
The fact that oversight was limited is, however, evinced by the fact that several board members have left their positions in response to the letter. According to FOIA revelations the board of directors was not consulted.
While the NSBA may not dissolve entirely, the organization will likely be limited to blue states in the future as Republican-led states look for an alternative.
Talks are already underway between the rebelling states to form a rival school board association, to be called the Consortium of State School Board Associations.
The premise of the controversy alone, the claim that public schools are not teaching critical race theory, is founded on a blatant lie and on its own should be enough to drive red states away from the organization.
With the additional news that the NSBA has collaborated with the White House to smear parents, the fall of the organization looks to be well deserved.
