Radicalizing Early Childhood Teachers

The value of early childhood education is a concept that continues to gain support. But this move is not just about worthwhile goals such as reading readiness. Some promoters of pre-kindergarten classes have very different agendas, and some are definitively radical. For example, some of the early childhood advocates are promoting "social justice," the ideology that America is an unjust oppressive nation, and others promote burdening little kids with various climate challenges confronting the planet.

For example, an anthology called "Rethinking Early Childhood Education," actively promotes a social-justice agenda, instructing teachers to raise awareness in their classrooms about ways gender labels can be confusing: "Between 3 and 5 years of age, children try to figure out . . . what aspects of self remain constant. They wonder: Will I always be a girl or a boy?" This sort of discussion raises questions of gay and lesbian identity, as well as bisexual and transgender roles. Introducing children to transgender identities certainly empowers teachers with opportunities to frame the ways children perceive the world and their role in it.

Education journals, such as that of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, direct teachers to "Adapt stories and songs to reflect and include gay and lesbian families," while warning that, "silence on this issue will have damaging outcomes for children." Teacher training programs often teach kids about racism and white privilege. The journal called "Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood" discusses "anti-racist leadership camps" where "unlearning racism" is a central element to teacher preparation.

Leftwing activist groups have many strategies to train early childhood education teachers to "provide teachers and parents with the tools to transform schools into centers of justice where students learn to read, write, and change the world."

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