Charlie Kirk’s assassination shocked the country. But what may be even more disturbing is the reaction from some corners of K-12 education: teachers celebrating his murder. The very people charged with shaping young minds cheered political violence. If you’re a parent, that should shake you.
As a parent myself, I can’t imagine sending my kid back to school, to a classroom where the person-in-charge’s reaction to Charlie’s death is anything but sadness and anger, much less joy and elation.
But it’s not enough to be outraged. It’s not enough to scroll, to post, to complain. Parents need to act—and act locally. The most effective way to channel grief and anger into change is simple: organize.
While organizing a one-off vigil for Charlie or asking your school board to remove a teacher that made a disgusting social media post is valiant, lasting change will only occur when parents form a group. Groups with structure, credibility, and strength in numbers. And the good news is, parents don’t have to start from scratch. Many parents have gone before them in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and parents can learn from their successes in forming parent advocacy groups that can push back when schools lose their moral compass.
Why a parent group? Because numbers matter. One mom or dad complaining can be ignored. But dozens of parents showing up together, with documented evidence and a united message, cannot.
How to start:
- Find allies. Are there other parents, grandparents or concerned citizens who share your concern about what’s happening in your child’s school? Join together and work together.
- Get specific. Was a teacher celebrating Charlie’s death in class? On social media? Which school, which district? Does this violate your school’s code of conduct? Gather the facts and documents.
- Formalize. Pick a name. Pick a few issue areas you will focus on. Set up social media pages and maybe even a website. Divide leadership roles so no one burns out.
- Investigate. Use public records requests if necessary. Document what’s happening in schools. When parents come armed with the facts, it’s harder to discredit what is being advocated for.
- Go public. Attend school board meetings. Organize events. Write op-eds and letters. Get your message out there in whatever way you can. Focus on what you are FOR, not just what you are against.
Once a group exists, something important shifts. Charlie knew this, which is why part of his mission was to start groups of like-minded students in schools and on campuses. Same applies here. When parents organize, they stop feeling isolated. They realize they’re not alone in their disgust. And they begin to change the conversation—locally, then regionally, and eventually, nationally.
This isn’t just about Charlie Kirk, or about one classroom. It’s about the kind of moral culture our schools are exposing our children to. If children see that adults in authority cheer violence against people with the “wrong” politics, what lesson does that teach them? That violence is acceptable if the target is unpopular?
Parents can’t wait for Washington to fix this. They can’t even wait for their state capitals. The most important fight is in your own backyard—in your child’s school, with your community’s teachers, in front of your school board.
To quote Charlie, “If you believe in something, you need to have the courage to fight for those ideas—not run away from them or try and silence them.” Outrage is not enough. The only answer is action. Start a group. Build something that lasts. Make sure the values you, and I, and Charlie want for our classrooms have defenders for years to come.
The time to organize is now.
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