I'm going to train 10,000 parents how to find out what schools are teaching their kids.
How you can help me realize this goal, and get first access to the program.
Kickstarter CANCELED this campaign just hours after launch. But good news! You can now fund it on Indiegogo (and if this gets canceled, I have another backup, don’t worry).
Last week, I had a game-changing idea: I’m going to train 10,000 parents how to find out what the schools are teaching their kids using only publicly available information.
And I’m crowdfunding to make it possible. Here’s how it happened:
More than ever, parents are concerned about what their kids are learning in public schools. And I'm going to build an online training program to help them find out.
What happens in public schools is public information.
Even without a public records request (or FOIA), public schools put a ton of information online. The problem is that, oftentimes, they bury the information parents are really looking for and use language that is confusing so that, even if parents find the information, they don't really know what to make of it.
I'm going to solve this problem by empowering parents with information.
Scott Presler is a young activist who has worked tirelessly to register new voters around the country. He has single-handedly registered hundreds of thousands of new voters. His work could literally swing elections.
I've often thought "what if Scott Presler was hired to train 50 people just like him, one in each state?" That would be a game changer, an advantage that could not be overcome. Instead of 100,000 new voters, all of a sudden you have 5,000,000.
I'm going to do this, but instead of training people to register new voters, I'm going to train parents on how to find out exactly what the public schools are teaching their kids.
And instead of one per state, I'm setting a goal of 200 per state, for a total of 10,000.
I will build a scalable online program to train parents how to find out what the schools are teaching their kids through a mix of recorded video, live lectures, and practical exercises.
My goals are simple:
I want to show parents what the schools are teaching.
I want them to have the knowledge to look at it and sort through it.
I want them to understand the language schools are using, and what it really means.
And I want them to make the decision if they are ok with it or not.
I don't view it as my job to convince anyone of anything - I want them to be able to see for themselves and think for themselves. It is entirely possible that a parent could investigate a school district and find absolutely nothing wrong with it! That's a best-case scenario.
But, what if that isn't what happens? Parents have a right to know.
Here's what the online training program will look like:
PRIVATE: It will be delivered on a private training platform to protect the identities of participants and allow them to learn, ask questions, and interact with each other in peace.
ON-DEMAND & INTERACTIVE: The content will be delivered through a mix of pre-recorded videos that parents can watch as their time allows, and a once-a-month live training and group Q&A. All live training will be recorded and added to the course room.
CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVED: The course will be continuously updated with new information, based partially on participant feedback and needs. Participants will have lifetime access to the program, and will be able to watch all future updates.
COMMUNITY-ORIENTED: The goal of this program is to train 10,000 parents. That's roughly 200 parents per state, assuming equal distribution. We'll create state groups so that parents can connect locally with other parents in their area.
FUNDING FOIA: Sometimes, we'll need to go beyond what's available on public websites. When that happens, we can submit FOIA requests (also known as public records requests or right-to-know requests). Sadly, those requests often cost money. Part of the proceeds from this program will go towards funding these requests when necessary.
A sample of what parents will learn:
Here are some of the training modules that will be available at the launch of the course:
The language you need to know: Oftentimes, schools will use language that parents do not understand. So, we'll start by making sure we're all speaking the same language. This is critical to understanding what you're seeing.
Let's talk about Diversity & Equity Offices: These offices go by a lot of different names and take on different responsibilities in every school system. We'll learn how to see what they've integrated into your kid's curriculum in the classroom.
Things you can find on school websites. School websites are basically like the wild west - they have A LOT of information on them but it's not always organized or clear. We'll start by discussing the types of information many schools are making publicly available.
Navigating a school's website: Once you know what you're looking for, you'll learn how to find it and where to look. We'll focus specifically on what ou need to search for to find documents that may be buried.
What are they doing after school? Content isn't just available in the curriculum anymore, it's also in afterschool activities, many of which are posting content online as well that parents may not even be aware of.
School social media - YouTube and beyond: Schools aren't just posting information on their websites - many of them have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube where they post content with students.
Finding teachers on social media: Oftentimes, teachers will post things they are teaching in classes on social media as well. This can provide great insight into what kids are learning.
Follow the money: Budget are a reflection of the values of an organization. They are also the thing that most school boards have approval over. Finding and understanding the budget can be very informative and useful.
What do "community partners" bring to the classroom? Schools will bring in outside consultants to help them develop and deliver curriculum. You can learn a lot by looking at those community partners' websites.
What professional development trainings are teachers completing? Professional development that teachers complete will eventually influence what is taught in the classroom. Your taxes pay for this too.
How to organize information as you go. When you start looking around a school's website, you'll probably experience overwhelm with all the information. But a few simple strategies make it more manageable.
Requesting public records: Sometimes, you have to go beyond information you can see in the open and request the schools send you information. You'll learn how to submit public records (FOIA) requests to schools to supplement your own research.
What are your state laws? Different states have different standards for what teachers can teach. You'll work through practical exercises to help you understand your state's laws when it comes to public schools.
A preview of the courseroom is available in the project video.
The course will be continuously updated after launch, to add new information based on parent needs and new learnings. Because all participants receive lifetime access, they will have access to all updates post-launch.
Do you have to be a parent to join?
Absolutely not - anyone who is interested in what the schools are teaching would be welcome to join and learn exactly how to find out. We all pay taxes for the public schools regardless of whether we have children in them or not - it's our right to know what we are paying for.
Convinced yet? Help me train 10,000 parents how to find what the schools are teaching their kids by funding this campaign.
I'm the very best person to do this work because I have the perfect skill stack for it.
Through an odd set of circumstances, I have a near ideal skill stack for this particular task.
I know how to conduct effective training
I know how to build online content
I happened to stumble into this world three years ago and immersed myself in it funny, and literally wrote a book on it.
I probably have more practical experience in investigating schools in this way than almost anyone else on the planet. I'm easily top 5.
I know this world backward and forward, and I know how to teach it. I want to pass on my knowledge to as many people as possible. The more people we create doing this, the better off we all are. And if every parent just used this information to look into their own school, parents would be unstoppable.
I have exposed multiple school districts for wrongdoing, simply by looking at their publicly available information.
My work in this area has received millions of views and has been covered on national news. Anyone can do what I did - all that is required is to know what to look for. You can see some examples of the coverage at unwokearmy.com.
Here are two articles I've written about this work.
I'm an experienced trainer, in person and online.
I'm an industrial/organizational psychologist by trade, and have delivered online training to thousands of individuals all over the country for things like how to manage people, communicate, build confidence, and infuse mindfulness into the work experience to reduce stress.
In other words, I know how to build training programs that work and that get results (and none of them have ever included mention of people's immutable characteristics).
As an example of the training program I'll build, here's screenshots from a recent course I put online with on-demand video to help people learn their communications style and learn how to adapt to others. The course exists on a private training platform, is easily laid out, driven by on-demand video content and is fun and engaging. Anyone can use this platform.
This is the same type of training program I will build to teach parents how to investigate the schools.
I will break down all of the content into easily digestible chunks,
Make the on-demand content fun and engaging,
And integrate live teaching portions once a month to walk through real world exercises.
Here's a sample of a possible courseroom and lesson plan:
The course will be a living course - new lessons will be added as they are needed and old lessons will be updated when necessary. New editions will come from community suggestions, so people who have access to the course will be able to offer suggestions to improve it.
Everyone who signs up for the course will receive lifetime access to it - as long as the course exists they will get access to every live instruction and every content update.
I literally wrote the book about fighting back against woke culture, with a chapter specifically on the schools.
Listen, I know to some people reading this, it might seem like I'm on a political side. I'm not. I think that both Democrats and Republicans are equally insane. I think the current path we are on at war with each other is dangerous. And I want everyone to be able to decide for themselves how they live their lives.
That's why I wrote this book. People need to take back control, and they can only do that when they have access to the information. Then, they make their own choices.
I researched for two years to write this book, completely immersing myself in this world to understand it. This is how I learned how to decode the language they are using in schools. I have watched more teacher training programs than almost anyone, and I know how to translate this information for people who don't understand it.
Here are some testimonials about the book. I will build this online course with the same sensibilities that I used to write the book:
"I purchased this book, "Actively Unwoke: The Ultimate Guide for Fighting Back Against the Woke Insanity in Your Life" to show support for Karlyn's work on YouTube, and I pretty much expected that I already knew its contents, but I read it anyway. Books like this are usually depressing, because if you're convinced the problems they posit to be real and pressing, one is usually left feeling frustrated and helpless. When I read Actively Unwoke, there was all that doom, but Karlyn has made a point to weave into each chapter an optimism that actually will have you cheering though this tome's key points!" - Rickpa on Amazon
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"Everyone in the world should read this book.
It gives a clear definition of Critical Race Theory and explains how CRT and the woke ideology have become prevalent in institutions/companies/etc. in the U.S.
The book gives examples of the many negative effects wokeness and CRT have on individuals and society.
Most importantly it provides numerous strategies for dealing with wokeness and CRT everyone can use in their lives starting immediately." - ReadMike on Amazon
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"This is a practical guide for anyone to understand what is going on in the current culture wars. What is “woke”? Why are people “all of a sudden” rejecting things that seemed true for centuries? What do I do when someone tries to ruin me for having a different life experience or point of view? This book has the answer laid out in practical, easy-to-understand chapters. Bonus: the messaging is positive and offers a glimmer of hope to people living in a culture that has gone insane." - Sam on Amazon
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"If you're confused by the current culture and want to know what you can do, this book is for you. It explains in easy-to-understand language what the woke are after, their methods to attain it, and what you can do about it. Dr. Borysenko balances reality, humor, and inspiration to tackle the serious issues facing us today. Despite the oppressive and depressing topic, this book was enjoyable and left me with hope."
- Battygirlrachel on Amazon
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"Karlyn does an incredible job describing what the modern woke landscape looks like, how to deal with it, and what to do to keep yourself sane in the process. I found the book to be incredibly informative of the realities of what is going on in the world and what we can do to bring sanity back to our culture. I’d recommend this book to anyone who has seen the light or anyone who has even questioned what is going on. Once you see it there’s no turning back. Let’s go." - Jacob on Amazon
Fund it. You know you want to. This doesn’t happen without your help.
very impressive