Focus on the economy, not ‘critical race theory’ or sex ed: Inside Democrats’ plan to win back parents

WASHINGTON — The era of COVID-19 school closures appears to be over, but parents’ frustration with that difficult period is set to play a pivotal role in November’s midterm elections.

Last summer, anger about months of remote learning energized Republicans, who founded activist groups, launched recalls of school board members, introduced new legislation, and attacked not only school closures, but also “critical race theory” and sex ed.

Now, with the elections that will determine control of Congress just months away, Democrats are fighting back, recalibrating their message to K-12 parent voters. Pandemic-era fights in the classroom have reengaged parents on broader concerns such as school shootings, learning loss and economic anxiety, and lessened voters’ focus on the culture war issues that dominated Republican complaints about public education last summer, Democrats argue.

The fights in school board meetings last summer were driven by a loud minority that’s since been balanced by more “mainstream voices” focused on issues like teacher shortages and stricter gun laws in the wake of recent mass shootings, said Katie Paris, a parent and founder of Red, Wine and Blue, a left-leaning,