Marxist Culture in the Sioux Falls Schools

Fired counselor, Cassie Martin, was not an anomaly.

A counselor at Ben Reifel Middle School in Sioux Falls was fired on Monday after writing, “Shoot – If only he would’ve had his scope sighted in correctly,” on her Facebook account shortly after the assassination attempt on former President Trump. The school leadership should be applauded for promptly and prudently terminating an employee whose statement did not “align with the School District’s values.”

It’s tempting to think that this school employee’s vile sentiment is an isolated anomaly, but it’s indicative of the toxic culture within our public schools. Teachers unions like the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), alongside university schools of education, are the two institutions most responsible for fostering a radical Marxist mindset among teachers and promoting a culture of social justice indoctrination in our public schools.

University and college schools of education play a crucial role in training future educators and certifying them for teaching positions. These institutions are responsible for shaping the pedagogical approaches and ideological perspectives that teachers bring to their classrooms. For decades, Marxist critical theories (race, gender, queer, et al) have been taught as foundational frameworks for understanding educational issues. The goal of this critical pedagogy is to utilize every subject as a way to awaken students’ critical consciousness, so they see everything in their lives as a binary conflict between victims versus oppressors.

In addition to the Marxist-infused training they receive in schools of education, aspiring teachers are also indoctrinated in their professional organizations. The NEA and AFT, the largest unions in the United States, sponsor campus-affiliated clubs as well as regional and national conferences and continuing education courses steeped in this radical ideology

The alignment between teachers unions and schools of education manifest in curricular choices, classroom discussions, and even personal interactions with students. The unions also wield considerable power in shaping educational policies and practices across the United States. About 70% of teachers belong to a teachers union. They negotiate contracts, advocate for teachers' rights, and influence curriculum decisions. Over time, these unions have increasingly embraced this critical social justice brand of Marxism as a core tenet of their worldview.

Teachers are encouraged to see themselves as agents of social change, promoting activism and advocacy among their students, and also voting en masse for candidates that align with the union leaders’ leftist agenda. NEA President, Becky Pringle, boldly proclaimed this agenda during their national meeting in Philadelphia, July 4-7, 2024.

CLICK TO WATCH THIS EXCERPT: NEA President, Becky Pringle, Promotes Radical Marxist DEI Social Justice Agenda

BECKY PRINGLE: “That’s why we will re-elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, our  Pro-childcare; Pro-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Pro-universal meals; Pro-voting rights; Pro-schools free of gun violence; Pro-racial and social justice friends who have been the strongest champions of public education, of educators, and of the labor movement in the history of our nation.”

What does pro-DEI policy look like here in South Dakota? Just ask Rapid City Area Schools superintendent, Nicole Swigart, who was suspended for 30 days and required to complete cultural competency training following an Office of Civil Rights investigation.

CLICK TO WATCH THIS EXCERPT: NEA President, Becky Pringle, Promotes Radical Abortion and LGBTQ Agenda

BECKY PRINGLE: “But NEA, we can’t stop there. We must elect both a Senate and a House that will work with our president to advance student loan forgiveness; that will enhance the rights of our LGBTQ+ community; that will protect a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body!”

Are the 70% of US teachers, who are members of the teachers unions in favor of these radical policies?

• Socialist redistribution of student loan debt to the working class people of this country–many of whom never attended college

• The grooming of children with radical gender and queer ideology

• The killing of unborn children

BECKY PRINGLE: “And in every school district across this country, we will elect school boards that will support our students and educators."

As in Rapid City, this radical ideology also finds its way into our Sioux Falls schools. Unfortunately, recently elected Sioux Falls School Board member, Gail Swenson, is a prime example of how this Marxist critical consciousness permeates her worldview. A quick glimpse at Gail’s Twitter/X feed reveals her alignment with the radical teachers unions’ ideology, and her lack of restraint in coarsely expressing her views.

Like former employee, Cassie Martin, does Gail Swenson’s disrespectful and sometimes vulgar language violate the Code of Conduct of the Sioux Falls School System she’s been elected to lead?

To accurately answer that question, we suggest you spend a few minutes watching these short videos in which we’ve curated a sampling of Gail’s radical tweets.

Gail’s Radical Tweets - Episode 1 - “Insult Mashup”

Gail’s Radical Tweets - Episode 2 - “White Men Make Me Sick & Angry”

If you don’t think Gail is the right leader for our schools, then we suggest you let her know about it at an upcoming Sioux Falls School Board meeting and by posting on the SFPS Facebook page. And be sure to vote for better leadership in the next Sioux Falls School Board election in April 2025.