May 18, 2026
Are schools replacing merit with identity politics?
USPIE: ‘Schools are clearly veering away from their proper mission of teaching reading, writing and math into personal development, which has always been the responsibility of the family’
COLUMBIA, S.C. — In many American classrooms today, students are no longer evaluated solely on what they know, but increasingly on how they think, react, cooperate and on their self-image, according to a recent report by The Federalist.
Programs called “Portrait of a Graduate,” “Future Ready Learner” and “Whole Child Development” are becoming more common in government schools.
“These initiatives are presented as modern, innovative, and necessary for future success,” said Rhonda Thomas, founder and president of Truth in Education, in her article for The Federalist. “But behind the appealing language is a shift that should give parents pause. Schools are moving away from teaching academic knowledge and toward training that measures attitudes, emotions, behaviors, and even aspects of identity. Children may be asked to write about their fears, reflect on personal and family struggles, share emotional experiences, or discuss their own and family beliefs and attitudes in group settings.”
“Asking children to disclose private family affairs and their own feelings undermines the relationship between parent and child,” said Sheri Few, founder and president of United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE). “Schools are clearly veering away from their proper mission of teaching reading, writing and math into personal development, which has always been the responsibility of the family.
“While conversations about future job aspirations are appropriate in school, pigeon-holing children at a young age into a career track shortchanges their opportunities. Worse, it may limit their development into careers that become obsolete by the time they graduate high school.”
On the May 19 episode of USPIE’s podcast, “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few,” Thomas joins Few to discuss her organization’s mission, as well as some disturbing facts about data mining on today’s students. Thomas explains that the amount of data being collected on students has grown dramatically, while most parents remain unaware of how much information is being gathered and stored on their children without their consent. She reveals how school districts are collecting behavioral history data, emotional data, and even attitudinal data, in addition to monitoring children’s emotions through the camera on a computer.
“The data schools are collecting and using is planting the seeds in children to believe that they have mental health issues; whether they do or not, it’s unfortunate that this is happening in government schools,” said Few. “Parents must take back control and remove their children from government schools to protect them and their future.”
USPIE’s “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” is a weekly podcast that exposes the dangers of education shaped by government bureaucrats and social engineers, while exploring practical ways to protect children and preserve America’s freedom. Listen to “Unmasking Government Schools with Sheri Few” on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify and X.
United States Parents Involved in Education (USPIE) is a nonprofit, nationwide coalition that is fighting to return education to its proper local roots and restore parental authority over their children’s education by helping parents and local communities to escape federal and other national influences. It is the vision of USPIE to create a culture where parents, empowered with the authority to choose what and how their children learn, are the undisputed primary educators of their children, where local schools operate in support of families, and where education is unencumbered by federal mandates.
USPIE’s powerful documentary, “Truth & Lies in American Education,” addresses some of the most glaring issues in the American education system and helps parents experience a paradigm shift in how they think about education and the role of their local schools. The film follows Few’s daughter-in-law, April, as she seeks to learn more about the system she was planning on exposing to her own children and learns the shocking truth. “Truth & Lies in American Education” is available for streaming on SalemNOW, as well as on DVD.
For more information on United States Parents Involved in Education, visit www.uspie.org or follow USPIE on Facebook or X.
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To interview a representative from United States Parents Involved in Education, contact Hamilton Strategies, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Beth Bogucki, 610.584.1096, ext. 105, or Daniel Moyer, ext. 104.
