Steve Rosenberg: The real fight for our children’s future is happening in the classroom
There’s a dangerous illusion gripping too many in our country: that what’s happening in K-12 education is just about curriculum battles or isolated classroom incidents. But these aren’t flukes — they are the visible fractures of a deeply illiberal system that has taken root in public education. Jewish parents and other concerned citizens are increasingly sounding the alarm because they recognize what’s at stake: the minds and values of the next generation.
The hostile climate facing Jewish students isn’t just about a few antisemitic posts or questionable assignments. It’s about an ecosystem of institutions—schools of education, teachers’ unions, outside activist networks, and bureaucratic agencies—that have cultivated a worldview rooted in grievance, victimhood, and division. This isn’t education. It’s indoctrination. And parents are right to be furious.
Some of the most chilling stories involve students being taught that Zionism is racism or being asked to participate in events where terrorist organizations are openly glorified. These aren’t the behaviors of fringe actors. In districts across Pennsylvania and beyond, such conduct is increasingly normalized—and protected. When teachers are caught promoting hate, they are often defended under the banner of “academic freedom,” while parents who speak up are dismissed as bigots or extremists.
And yet, too many state and local officials still view these problems as isolated or exaggerated. Even when federal civil rights agencies step in — as they did with the School District of Philadelphia last year — the results often fall short. Enforcement is toothless, and districts quickly return to business as usual, emboldened by the lack of consequences. The House Education and Workforce Committee in Washington DC has noticed, and is now investigating the School District of Philadelphia, one of only three districts called to explain their immoral indoctrination methods damaging the minds of our youngest citizens.
The consequences, however, are real. Students are being harmed — emotionally, socially, and intellectually. Families are being torn between their values and their public institutions. And our shared civic fabric is unraveling.
What’s needed is not just another round of training sessions or DEI audits. We need systemic reform that restores core American values — liberty, dignity, pluralism, equality under the law — to their rightful place in our classrooms.
That means passing laws that create transparency around curriculum development and teacher affiliations. It means making it easier for parents to know what their children are being taught and who is influencing that instruction. It means tying school funding to measurable outcomes that reflect a commitment to genuine civics and inclusive, fact-based education. This includes stopping the flow of foreign funding especially from Qatar and holding districts accountable.
It also means embracing the principle of institutional neutrality — an idea whose time has come. Public schools should not be ideological battlegrounds. They exist to serve diverse communities, not to impose a singular worldview. When schools take political stances, they alienate families, violate trust, and abandon their most essential role: creating space for learning, not activism.
Parents are not the enemy. They are the missing ingredient. When empowered with tools, information, and support, parents can be the most effective advocates for real accountability. But they cannot — and should not — be left to fight alone. That’s why we need civic leaders, legislators, and philanthropic institutions to prioritize this issue. Because if we don’t win this battle in the classroom, we risk losing the broader fight for democratic society itself.
The illiberal capture of public education didn’t happen overnight and reversing it will take time. But momentum is building. Parents are organizing. Whistleblowers are speaking out. Think tanks and advocacy groups are offering serious policy solutions. The path forward is clear, it just requires the courage to act.
The struggle for K-12 education isn’t a side issue. It’s the front line of a much bigger fight for the future of the country. And it starts with standing up for our children’s right to be educated, not indoctrinated.
Steve Rosenberg is the Philadelphia Regional Director for NAVI and author of the book, Make Bold Things Happen: Inspirational Stories From Sports, Business And Life.
