When U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon arrives at Cedar Drive Middle School in Colts Neck on Friday, some students will not be there to hear her message that “History Rocks!”
The visit to the Monmouth County public school will be the second stop on a 50-state tour from President Donald Trump’s administration celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The tour is being produced in partnership with multiple conservative groups, including Moms for Liberty and Turning Point USA, the group founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
But some Colts Neck parents, chafing against what they say is the overt political messaging associated with the tour, are electing to keep their kids home.
Danielle Alpaugh is one.
“We may take a trip to the Liberty Bell tomorrow,” said Alpaugh, who is a lawyer.
She said she will keep her son home from school and give him an alternative civics assignment of her own.
Other Colts Neck parents also said they will be keeping their children home to avoid having them listen to the messaging at the event. Some families are also circulating a petition calling for the event to be canceled.
McMahon’s “History Rocks! Trail to Independence Tour” kicked off in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Thursday morning, where McMahon told the students and teachers of Foose Elementary that the United States is “the greatest nation on earth, and it’s such a privilege to each of us to be born here and to grow up here in this wonderful country of ours.”
The tour announced earlier this week by the Trump administration is a “key component” of its America 250 Civics Education Coalition, according to a letter sent to Colts Neck parents this week by district superintendent MaryJane Garibay.
“This coalition is dedicated to advancing civic education and expanding opportunities for students to learn about the ideas, individuals, and events that define the American story,” Garibay wrote.
The coalition also includes the U.S. Department of Education, the America First Policy Institute, Hillsdale College and Turning Point USA — the right-wing political organization founded by the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September.
The head of the Colts Neck school board contacted the Trump administration and offered the district as a site for the history tour, the school district said.
Alpaugh, the parent who plans to take her son to the Liberty Bell instead of going to school, served on the Colts Neck School Board from 2015 to 2021. She lost her seat to a slate of more conservative candidates who call themselves Colts Kids First. Many of those candidates remain on the school board.
Alpaugh said she feels school board positions should be nonpartisan roles.
“I feel like it was made very political in large part due to Colts Kids First and their platform,” said Alpaugh, who describes herself as politically moderate.
Moms For Liberty, one of the groups in McMahon’s coalition, recently applauded Colts Neck school board’s passage of a “Parental Rights Bill.” It included a provision that allows parents to inquire and get information about whether their transgender children ask to change their names or gender identity at school.
“Colts Neck, New Jersey isn’t woke!” the Moms for Liberty group said on Instagram after the school board vote.
In September, Trump sent a letter to Colts Neck’s superintendent thanking her for sharing her “views on women’s athletics.”
Trump’s administration has made rolling back transgender rights a priority over the past year. In February, he signed an executive order restricting transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
Some community members have speculated that the commendations for Colts Neck led to McMahon’s decision to visit the middle school.
One parent, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said even if McMahon sticks to a nonpartisan script, the coalition of organizations associated with “History Rocks!” sends a message to LGBTQ+ families and students that the district doesn’t support them.
“There are parents who don’t want this stuff rammed down their kids throats, and they have parental rights as well, and you’re not respecting their parental rights,” she said referring to parents who disagree with the views of the coalition.
The letter announcing McMahon’s visit only gave community members a few days to voice their support or their concerns. A school board meeting scheduled for Dec. 3 was canceled.
McMahon previously said “History Rocks!” is needed because of a lack of civics education in schools.
“We haven’t taught them about America — our history, our trials and tribulations that led to this being the most wonderful country on the face of the earth,” McMahon said at the initiative’s launch.
In New Jersey, middle school students receive at least two quarters of civics lessons, according to state guidelines. At the high school level, civics is part of all required social studies classes.
According to the state guidelines, “students study the values and principles underlying the American system of constitutional democracy, the function of government, and the role of a citizen in a democratic society.”
