‘Anti-Religious, Radical Left: Expert Sounds Alarm Over Forces ‘Ruining Our Schools’

Dr. Corey A. DeAngelis is on a mission to empower parents and solidify school choice, taking on teacher’s unions and ideological opponents in the process. DeAngelis, who is out with a new book, “The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools,” told CBN News he got into education policy when he began exploring the issue as a researcher studying for his PhD at the University of Arkansas.

It was after exploring the impact of a school-choice program that his interest was piqued. DeAngelis said he started to see the non-academic outcomes surrounding these programs, noticing improvements in students’ mental health, citizenry, and other relevant benchmarks. “We found large effects on reducing crime as a result of getting to go to a school that works best for your kid,” DeAngelis said. “Lo and behold, surprise, surprise, families get to choose a school that is aligned with their values, that isn’t involved in drugs, and bullying, and violence, [and] their kids [were] less likely to be involved in crime later on in life.”

In the end, he said school choice is a “win-win” solution, as public schools can also benefit from the competition that unfolds when choice is introduced. Among the issues DeAngelis tackled is the ongoing debate over the use of vouchers for religious schools. Critics claim these vouchers take taxpayer dollars away from public schools and give them to religious institutions, claiming there’s a separation of church and state violation. But DeAngelis said this perspective is hypocritical.

“By the way, the words ‘separation of church and state’ are not in the U. S. Constitution,” he said. “They’re talking about a state-established religion.” DeAngelis continued, “School choice — you getting to pick your school for your child that aligns with your values — that does not establish a state religion.” And he wasn’t done there. DeAngelis said those arguing against school choice don’t seem to have a problem when monies go to other religious institutions in different contexts.

The education expert also accused teachers’ unions and other groups of fighting against any change to the status quo, alleging they want to “keep your kids’ education dollars” and a monopoly they can control. And DeAngelis said this becomes even more pronounced when faith is involved. “The anti-religious, radical left liberals that control the school system, they don’t have to have their own kids,” he said. “They can basically just use the school system for seven hours a day, for 13 years of children’s lives — their most impressionable years — to shape, to inculcate their worldview in the classroom.”