RALEIGH, N.C. — Members of a vocal conservative education group gathered outside the state General Assembly on Wednesday to demand a new requirement before North Carolina students graduate high school.
Moms for Liberty marked its Legislative Days on Wednesday and, among other things, urged lawmakers to consider making all in-state students take a U.S. citizen or naturalization test.
On hand for the event was Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor who took aim at diversity, equity and inclusion programs by replacing the acronym with his version.
“It's not diversity, equity, inclusion. It's what we used to search for in this country and what we used to search for in this country was discipline, excellence and intelligence," Robinson said. "That is what we need to bring back.”
Robinson spoke to a crowd hungry for a public education overhaul.
“You see that is what we are dealing with in this country," he said. "We are dealing with a simple truth and the simple truth is this: The school system does not own our children.”
Robinson has long campaigned against what he called the indoctrination of students into woke ideology.
“And in our schools there are certain subjects and certain things that have no place. Children are not supposed to be learning about adult topics in our schools," he said. "They're supposed to be taught to read and write and do mathematics."
It’s an appealing sentiment for Brooke Weiss, the chair of the Mecklenburg County chapter of Moms for Liberty.
“We know that the education system is not functioning at an adequate level. There is a problem,” Weiss said.
The group says part of the answer is demanding students take a citizenship test, the same process an immigrant goes through to become an American citizen, except students must complete it to graduate from high school.
“I think that people don’t even know what it means to be an American anymore. Rather than focus on diversity, we want to focus on what makes us all Americans,” Weiss said.
They propose that all students be required to pass the test, given only in English, before receiving a diploma.
A spokesperson for state Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic candidate for governor, said in a statement: “Our teachers deserve our respect and appreciation. Mark Robinson calls them ‘wicked people’ and ‘demons.’ He just wants to fight job-killing culture wars. Josh Stein understands the importance of strengthening public education and as Governor, he will fight for badly-needed investments that support teachers and students and help strengthen North Carolina’s future.”
State Rep. Sarah Crawford, a Wake County Democrat, criticized the proposal by Moms for Liberty.
“I think that’s absolutely ridiculous," she said. "I don’t know why would be asking our children who were born in the United States to pass a citizenship test. I don’t think that’s a reasonable demand.”
Weiss said it’s giving communities the decision-making power. “Our mission is to empower parents to stand for their own beliefs and their own rights,” Weiss said.
The president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, Tamika Walker, saw it differently. “We need professional educators in charge of curriculum requirements, not politicians that peddle divisive conspiracy theories and want to ban science and social studies from our schools.”
Policymakers have not taken up any legislation to require students pass a naturalization exam before high school graduation.