In recent weeks, the Wyoming Education Association has been plunging the dues of its members into paid advertising falsely attacking my voting record. The union claims that I “refused to support our public school teachers” by voting against bills that transform schools from educational institutions into mental health treatment centers.
The advertisements are vaguely worded so as to obfuscate the truth, but I am not afraid or ashamed of my voting record being made available to the public (unlike some of my colleagues in the Wyoming House of Representatives).
Their slanderous accusation that I am a child killer for not funding "mental health support" in schools is appalling. I stand by my opposition to legislation that overburdens teachers and grows government.
Our teachers spend four years (or more) honing in teaching skills, and are now expected to identify, refer, and even provide mental health services to kids through “Social Emotional Learning” (SEL) curriculum, which should be banned.
Not only are our teachers expected to plan great lessons (with differentiated delivery for diverse learners), attend professional development training, meet with their cohorts multiple times each week, grade papers and more, the Wyoming Legislature (and evidently the Wyoming teacher’s union) expects them to become mental health professionals too.
Further, government-run mental health programs in schools are the back-door for programming kids about radical gender ideology.
It is not the role of government, nor of government schools, nor of a union comprised of government employees to address all mental health concerns or ailments in children.
Schools are entrusted with educating children and should focus on that mission. Schools are not custodians of their students; they are stewards charged with educating the minds of children, not analyzing them.
Parents are the rightful authority in regards to their children's welfare--mental and physical.
Cultural rot ushered in by radical leftism has created the mental health crisis in young people– and government schools cannot address a problem they helped to create.
When it is suggested to children that boys can become girls, that mental anguish can be solved by degrading and mutilating their bodies, that America is an evil empire, and that the world is sure to end because of your mom’s SUV, mental health problems are sure to proliferate.
The Wyoming Education Association, like Randi Weingarten’s American Federation of Teachers, doesn’t care about children– they care about maintaining their power and attempts to radicalize our schools and our children. After all, my WEA-backed opponent was the head of a Natrona County School District #1 committee that voted in secret to keep radically inappropriate sexually-focused books in our school libraries.
I would reckon that the vast majority of Wyoming teachers would disagree with the overt politicization of their profession and would rather be left to do what they know best- to simply teach.
Jeanette Ward, Casper
Rep. Ward represents House District 57
