The California branch of the National School Boards Association (NSBA) announced its split from the national organization. California is now the 22nd state to leave the National School Boards Association. However, in California’s case the reasoning is different then most of the others. A majority of those states severed ties over radical policies. But for California, it was because the National School Boards Association’s agenda was not radical enough.
The NSBA came under fire months ago after it was revealed that they attempted to persuade the Biden administration and Attorney General Merrick Garland to send federal law enforcement to local school board meetings. Many of these local meetings around the country had become increasingly contentious after parents groups protested COVID policies and progressive education standards. NSBA had labeled parents who were against such policies as “domestic terrorists”. Since then 30 chapters have distanced themselves from the NSBA citing that they did not consult or inform them about their request to the federal government. California was on the other side of most of the states and was supportive of the overall efforts.
CEO of the California School Boards Association Vernon Billy sent a letter to Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta. In his letter obtained by Parents Defending Education and first reported by California Policy Center, Billy said that Newsom and Bonta should, “convince, command, or otherwise urge local law enforcement to uphold public health and safety orders, help maintain order at local school board meetings when requested, and enforce the law as they are sworn to do.”
In their official statement, the CSBA said, “CSBA’s inequitable representation in NSBA’s governance structure and the organization’s lack of support for policy issues of importance to California.” CSBA is angered that the NSBA is not supportive of the CSBA agenda. When the NSBA letter to the federal government was first reported, the backlash was extremely severe. Instead of backing off the radical policies that have angered parents all across the state and country, California doubled down on it.
Photo Cred: Robert Gauthier—Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
