An investigative study of the far-right’s attack on education and an on-the-ground look at the parent activist battle, on either side of the debate, to control the future of public schools
For well over a century, public schools have been a non-partisan gathering place and vital center of civic life in America—but something has changed. In School Moms, journalist Laura Pappano explores the on-the-ground story of how public schools across the country have become ground zero in a cultural and political war as the far-right have made efforts to seek power over school boards.
Pappano argues that the rise of parent activism is actually the culmination of efforts that began in the 1990s after campaigns to stop sex education largely fizzled. Recent efforts to make public schools more responsive and inclusive, as well as the pandemic, have offered openings the far-right have been waiting for to organize and sway parents, who are frustrated and exhausted by remote learning, objections by teachers’ unions, and shifting directives from school leaders. Groups like Moms for Liberty and Parents Defending Education are organizing against revised history curricula they have dubbed as “CRT,” banning books, pressing for “Don’t Say Gay” laws, and asserting “parental rights” to gain control over the review of classroom materials. On the other side, progressive groups like Support Our Schools and Red, Wine & Blue are mobilizing parents to counter such moves.
Combining on-the-ground reporting with research and expert interviews, School Moms will take a hard look at where these battles are happening, what is at stake, and why it matters for the future of our schools.
“This is a serious piece of reporting. For public and academic libraries, this is a capsulized view of a hot topic.”
—Booklist
“School Moms reveals the real monster under the bed. Through stories of the distracting scuffles in the fight for public schools today, Laura Pappano illuminates who is at war and what is truly at stake in the immediate and dire struggle for the survival of public schools as a bedrock of democratic society. These stories point to the politicization of a public good at the expense of children. It is a rallying call to those of us who care about the well-being of our youngest citizens.”
—Peg Oliveira, PhD, director, Gesell Program in Early Childhood, Yale Child Study Center
“Pappano strips away the mask of right-wing ‘parents’ and ‘moms’ cabals to reveal their political strategy: a fear-driven assault on public schools. But she presents hope too—in teachers, principals, librarians, and, yes, caring moms and parents who fight for their communities.”
—Maurice T. Cunningham, author of Dark Money and the Politics of School Privatization
“America’s public schools find themselves in the crosshairs of a calculated campaign, driven by dark-money donors and relying on lies to incite fear, anger, cruelty, and intimidation. What do the attackers seek to achieve? To grasp the vast stakes of this siege, read School Moms. And take a stand with our embattled school boards, teachers, and librarians before it is too late.”
—Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America
PREFACE
Why Public Schools Matter
CHAPTER 1
What the “War Moms” Want
CHAPTER 2
How Schools Are Becoming Partisan and Political
CHAPTER 3
When Librarians Come Under Attack
CHAPTER 4
How Weaponizing CRT Disrupts Learning
CHAPTER 5
Decency and Defending LGBTQ+ Students
CHAPTER 6
The New Parent Involvement
EPILOGUE
How to Fight for School Communities
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
- “Dive deeper into the issues this political season with these book suggestions,” Here and Now/WBUR, listed in reading roundup
- “The Right’s War on Schools,” KPFA/Against the Grain, interview
- “Parental Activism and the Politicization of Public Schools with Laura Pappano,” Story on the Public Square/PBS National + SiriusXM, interview
- “School mom traces development of book bans,” Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, write-up
- “‘Our children deserve to be educated’: Q&A with education journalist Laura Pappano,” Vanderbilt Hustler, Q&A
- “‘School Moms’ Fight Back Against Book Bans: Laura Pappano Talks to Mom-Activist Kate Nazemi,” Mutha Magazine, author Q&A with activist
- “The Insidious Influence of Moms for Liberty,” The Culture Study Podcast, podcast interview
- “Journalist/Author Laura Pappano: School Moms: Parent Activism, Partisan Politics, and the Battle for Public Education,” Stand Up with Pete Dominick, podcast interview
- “Countering the Culture Wars Panel Storms SXSW,” Reform Austin, article
- “Off to the Sidelines,” Have You Heard, podcast interview
- “Interview: Author Laura Pappano on Her New Book School Moms and the Fight to Save Public Education from Extremists,” Bucks County Beacon, interview
- “Healthy Parent Activism Or Partisan Warfare?” ThoughtStretchers Education, podcast interview
- “Meddling Moms: The Movements Making Change in Public Schools,” Harvard EdCast with Jill Anderson, interview
- “Laura Pappano,” The Jimmy Malone Show/WTAM (Cleveland), interview
- “Laura Pappano,” What Works: The Future of Local News, podcast interview
- “Laura Pappano: The Political Battles inside America’s Public Schools,” Talk Cocktail, podcast interview
- “Laura Pappano on the rise of right-wing parent groups spreading disinformation about our public schools,” Talk Out of School/WBAI Radio, podcast interview
- “How public schools got so political,” KERA/Think, interview
- “How Parents Are Protecting Public Schools From Attacks,” NEA Today, interview
- “The fight against partisan politics in schools,” New Day Northwest/King TV, interview
- “‘Moms for Liberty’ trying to influence what is taught in public schools,” Total Information AM/KMOX Radio, live interview
- “New Nonfiction Publishing January 30,” Publishers Lunch, listed as a notable nonfiction release
- “A Brief History of the Grand Old American Tradition of Banning Books,” Literary Hub, excerpt
- “Laura Pappano”s School Moms,” The Page 99 Test, blog write-up
- “Laura Pappano on School Moms,” Leonard Lopate at Large/WBAI Radio, live interview
- “The Heroes Fighting for Public Education,” Yes! Magazine, adapted excerpt
- “New Book School Moms Delves Into Battle for Public Schools,” Wellesley Centers for Women, Q&A with brief excerpt
- “School Moms to the Rescue! (with Laura Pappano),” The Suburban Women Problem, podcast interview
- “School Moms,” New Books, write-up
- “The magic pebble and a lazy bull: The book ban movement has a long timeline,” The Hechinger Report, adapted excerpt
- “Traci Thomas: Most Anticipated Books of 2024,” The Stacks/SheReads, included in reading roundup
- “‘People Have to Wake Up’: From the Front Lines of Idaho’s School Board Battles Against the Far Right,” Vanity Fair, piece