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The head of an education watchdog organization is urging parents to look beyond their children’s official school curriculum and ask more questions about what is happening inside classrooms, arguing that policies presented to the public do not always reflect what educators are doing in practice.
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Accuracy in Media President Adam Guillette joined The National News Desk to discuss his organization’s undercover investigations of school districts and what he says parents can do to learn more about the instruction their children receive.
Accuracy in Media says it has conducted undercover investigations involving hundreds of school districts around the country, releasing videos that the organization says show some administrators discussing diversity, equity and inclusion policies and other politically contentious education issues.
“What we see in state after state, even in states where there are laws against it, is that administrators are pushing critical race theory and DEI into every facet of education,” Guillette said.
The undercover videos and Accuracy in Media’s interpretations of them have generated political debate over how schools implement state restrictions.
Guillette pointed to a recent federal lawsuit against Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools as another example of the broader debate over parental involvement in schools.
The Justice Department filed the lawsuit Sept. 1, alleging the district violated federal parental-rights laws through guidance that allowed staff to develop plans related to a student’s gender identity without informing or obtaining consent from parents. The government’s complaint alleges violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment. The allegations have not yet been adjudicated by a court.
“The Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against Kansas public schools for allegedly promoting the transitioning, the gender transitioning of students behind the backs of parents,” Guillette said.
Guillette argued parents who are concerned about what is happening in their children’s schools can investigate for themselves without resorting to undercover tactics.
“I really think the best thing to do, if you don’t have school choice opportunities available for you, is to become your own investigator in your own school district,” Guillette said.
He said parents can start by asking teachers and administrators questions about how they interpret state education laws and policies.
“The first thing is don’t go in there aggressively to give them the third degree,” Guillette said. “Instead, let them think you’re an ideological ally. It’s amazing how much they’ll tell you if they think that you’re on their same team.”
Guillette also encouraged parents to ask what materials teachers are using beyond those listed in a school’s formal curriculum.
“Inquire about supplemental materials that they’re using that aren’t in the official curriculum,” Guillette said.
He cited materials connected to historian Howard Zinn, The New York Times’ 1619 Project and the Southern Poverty Law Center as examples of resources his organization has encountered during previous investigations.
“Ask them what they’re using in addition to the curriculum,” Guillette said.
The discussion comes as states continue debating legislation governing DEI and other subjects in public education. North Carolina, for example, enacted legislation in June restricting certain DEI-related practices in public schools after lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto. The law defines and restricts certain “divisive concepts” and “discriminatory practices” in the state’s public education system.
Guillette argued that passing restrictions alone is not enough if states do not create effective ways to enforce them.
“Many of these laws aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on,” Guillette said. “They have no enforcement mechanism, no consequences for breaking the law.”
He called for significant consequences when educators knowingly violate applicable state laws, arguing that the level of trust placed in public school employees warrants strong accountability.
“We’re giving so much trust to these educators to influence young children,” Guillette said. “I think if you’re caught breaking the law, collecting a taxpayer-funded salary, you should be prohibited from ever again working for the government, and you should be stripped of your pension.”
Those proposed penalties reflect Guillette’s position and are not a description of a uniform policy currently in effect nationwide.
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Guillette ultimately argued that expanding school choice is the most effective way to create accountability because families can take education funding elsewhere when they are dissatisfied with a school.
“School choice for me is the only way to potentially save public education as we know it,” Guillette said. “Force them to compete.”
The landscape for school choice varies significantly by state. Texas, which Guillette cited during the interview, established the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program through Senate Bill 2. The program begins in the 2026-27 school year and provides participating families with state-funded education savings accounts that can be used for approved expenses outside the public school system.
Guillette pointed to states including Florida and Arizona, which have implemented broad school-choice programs, and argued other states should continue expanding similar options.
“It’s the best way to save education in America,” Guillette said.
The debate over curriculum, parental rights and school choice has become increasingly prominent as states pursue different approaches to what can be taught in public schools, what information parents are entitled to receive and whether public education dollars should follow students to private or alternative educational options.
