I have known an elementary school teacher for a few years now, and we occasionally have cause to discuss matters like this one. It has crystallized my determina

I have known an elementary school teacher for a few years now, and we occasionally have cause to discuss matters like this one. It has crystallized my determination that my children, should they ever exist, will be homeschooled. As much as I would like to believe that these beliefs are only held by a few "true believers" in unfortunately high positions, I fear that the reality on the ground is much worse. My acquaintance genuinely and fully believes... well, basically anything fêted in the social proof of equality and justice. Even if the actual proven results of such beliefs and policies directly harms the populations they claim to help. It is strange; if one were to imagine a white supremacist or similar figure in charge of education, and they tried to push forward a similar proposal to ensure that the disadvantaged were never taught true mathematics, they would be tarred and feathered. But by cloaking the initiative in the language of justice, people approve. I've accepted for a while that people are not generally rational. But it's hard to accept the further realization that - and this is shakier ground, though it tracks with what I've noticed recently - many people don't seem to actually have beliefs. They have some vague set of heuristics that they use to respond to the world. Should evidence contradict their feelings or cause them to feel bad, they will deflect, dismiss, denigrate, and deny until anyone intruding on their personal reality simply gives up. Anything to avoid updating their priors. And I mean that in the least charitable way possible; this acquaintance of mine has refused to accept that there is a difference in importance or even kind between feelings and facts. The knowledge that someone like this is an active teacher is horrifying.