Becoming Right: Education and the Formation of Conservative Movements

Throughout the United States, national organizations have been formed by conservatives to fight against what counts as "official knowledge" in schools. These organizations often reach out to local groups of "concerned citizens" and offer financial and legal assistance in their battles with school systems at state and local levels. Citizens for Excellence in Education, the Eagle Forum, the Western Center for Law and Religious Freedom, and Focus on the Family are among the most active. Geoff Whitty, Tony Edwards, and Sharon Gewirtz document in their analysis of the growth of conservative initiatives such as city technology colleges in England, rightist policies and their effects are not always the result of carefully planned initiatives. There is a story told by a teacher about a discussion that arose in her elementary school classroom. A number of students were excitedly talking about some "dirty words" that had been scribbled on the side of a building during Halloween.