The idea they're 'indoctrinating' is false': GOP candidate stands up for teachers at debate
"They’re working in low-paying jobs, and they’re fighting for those kids and their families.”
Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota
Over the past few years, there's been a concern among some conservatives that specific topics, such as LGBTQ awareness and critical race theory, are too prevalent in classrooms. These concerns have inspired various legislative actions, such as book bans and restrictions on discussing LGBTQ topics in schools.
Unfortunately, this debate has also resulted in a hostile work environment for some teachers and administrators, and clashes at school board meetings have been commonplace. In extreme situations, educators have been accused of grooming children into becoming LGBTQ.
Critics of the conservative scorched-earth approach to education believe that it’s nothing more than a manufactured moral panic used by politicians to garner support on issues that hit close to home for parents. A disturbing aspect of the education backlash is that it often targets teachers who already have a tough job.
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum stood up to GOP rank-and-file at the presidential debate on Wednesday, August 23, by claiming that the idea that teachers are indoctrinating children across the nation is “false.” For many, it was a welcome course correction from the Republican narrative.
A moderator asked Burgum if too much is being made about the issue of transgender children playing sports in schools, and he used the question to discuss the topic of indoctrination.
“But I do think when we start talking about education—and we think that we’re going to have a federal government one size fits all—we’re just completely losing track of the fact that education differs by state. Some school districts are doing a fantastic job, some less so,” Burgum said.
“But the idea that every school district and every teacher is somehow indoctrinating people is just false,” he continued. “Teachers in this country, the vast majority of them care about those kids. They’re working in low-paying jobs, and they’re fighting for those kids and their families.”
Burgum also reframed the argument from social issues to what’s most important, children being taught the fundamentals in schools.
“There’s a lot of crazy woke things happening in schools, but we’ve got to get these kids reading. If a child can’t read by third grade, they’re four times less likely to graduate high school. So we need to make sure we bring in reading remediation all over this country,” Burgum said.
“We need transparency in the classroom because parents should never have to wonder what’s being said or taught to their children in the classroom,” she continued. “Parents need to be deciding which schools their kids go to because they know best, and let’s put vocational classes back into the high schools. Let’s teach our kids to build things again.”
It’s crucial for parents to have a voice in what’s happening in the classroom. But when politicians turn the focus in education from teaching kids the fundamentals to a hyper-focus on the culture war, that’s when the system is bound to fail. Burgum did a commendable job in the debate, reframing the discussion from the culture wars to what matters most: children learning about the three Rs and supporting their teachers.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.