UKRAINIAN CONFLICT BEGS QUESTION: WHY FIGHT A CULTURE WAR?

As the conflict in Ukraine continues, I am taken by the stories and pictures of the Ukrainian people proudly defending their families, their homes and their way of life.

Video clips show Ukrainians gathered in front of the Russian embassy in the capital city of Kyiv to condemn the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. They are holding signs and chanting: “We are not afraid.”

Still, more than a million people have left the country.

Others have resolved to stay and help with the resistance, however they can. When Ukraine’s deputy defense minister urged civilians to take up arms, online searches for “how to make a Molotov cocktail” spiked. (It’s a simple bomb fashioned out of a glass bottle, fuel and a fuse.)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tossed a bomb of his own at President Joe Biden, who offered assistance with evacuation from Kyiv. Zelenskyy said, “The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth, and our truth is that this is our land, our country.”

In the U.S., we are witnessing a fight of a different sort: a culture war. And it’s stirring a great deal of passion.

The battleground is schools, across the country. Parents are speaking up — loudly — and fighting on multiple fronts, with Covid-related concerns at the head of the class.

To be sure, the pandemic has been terrible for everyone. But it’s been especially hard on parents. For two years, unpredictable school closures turned household schedules upside down. Millions of parents chose to leave the workforce altogether, pinching budgets. Their kids have suffered: Remote learning hasn’t worked well for most, and research has found alarming rates of childhood depression and anxiety. Existing disparities in learning only got worse.

And yet the return to in-person instruction has been fraught with conflict, too, largely over COVID protocols. School board meetings have become ground zero for parents who are angry about mask and vaccine mandates.

It’s a fight that feels manufactured, especially when compared to a fight for democracy.

Curriculum controversies have escalated, too, with growing concern among parents about classwork that is overly conscious of racial differences. They worry, specifically, about the teaching of critical race theory, which looks at race and racism in society and the way it impacts people. Opponents allege that CRT advocates discrimination against White people as compensation for past injustices.

It’s not the first time that parents have voiced displeasure with what is being taught in public schools and how; nearly 10 years ago, there was outcry as the country transitioned to Common Core standards, which changed the way math and reading were taught.

And book banning is back, with parents pressuring lawmakers to clear school bookshelves of certain genres or titles, in the name of protecting children. Many of the books considered offensive — like “To Kill a Mockingbird” — deal with challenging issues, like racial inequality.

Frustration with public schools led to record turnout in Virginia’s gubernatorial election last November. Republican Glenn Youngkin handily beat his Democratic opponent; parents were angry that the incumbent governor (also a Democrat) had been largely absent on Covid-related school policy.

Voting is the most democratic way to effect change. But the process takes time. That’s led to a call by anxious parents to put cameras in school classrooms and microphones on teachers. Lawmakers in two states are currently considering bills that would allow livestreaming of all K-12 classes, viewable by parents. Already, West Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Florida have laws that placed cameras in special education classrooms.

The turmoil in public schools today is unprecedented. In response, student populations are shrinking across the country. Families with means are turning to private education, leaving behind kids from low-income households with fewer choices and, often, greater needs.

Teachers — a frequent target of parental angst — are resigning in record numbers (or thinking about it); a survey by the National Education Association last year found that one in three teachers have considered leaving the profession. School boards are shedding members amid threats and harassment by parents.

When I was growing up, schools were a source of community pride. They reflected the hopes and dreams of neighborhood residents. Now, they’ve become a microcosm of the factionalism that has swept our country.

Whether fighting in distant Ukraine or in our neighborhood schools, conflict resolution begins with finding common ground. That requires talking, rather than taking up arms. These are urgent conversations, and they need to start now.