source:-  ABC News

Linda McMahon, the US Secretary of Education, is coming to New Jersey, and some parents and advocacy groups are very upset about it. They are planning to hold an assembly on Friday at Cedar Drive Middle School in Colts Neck. The school is one of the first stops on McMahon's nationwide civics tour. This is a fifty-state effort to get students more interested in American history and their duties as citizens. But because it is closely linked to a number of conservative groups, families are worried about political and religious influence in a public school setting.

The History Rocks Tour is a program that works with groups like the AmericaFirst Policy Institute, Turning Point USA, Hillsdale College, and others like them. Many people know that these groups are very conservative, which has made some parents wonder if the event will really be nonpartisan as it is advertised. Families say they didn't get enough notice and are worried that the content might go too far for public schools to handle.

On Tuesday, just three days before the planned visit, a letter was sent to parents letting them know about the assembly. The announcement said that the event was a meaningful and nonpartisan effort to get students interested in American history and civic duty. Even though this is how it was described, some residents have already spoken out against it. One parent, Alison Denoia, said she was shocked when she read about the program. She said that even though the letter stressed a nonpartisan approach, none of the groups that support the initiative are known for being neutral. She also said that the associations alone make her worry about the kinds of messages students might get.

People who keep an eye on public education for political reasons also share those worries. Michael Gottesman, who started the New Jersey Public Education Coalition, said the visit was troubling. He says that Turning Point USA's prominent role as a presenter makes it hard to believe that political or religious ideology won't be present. He said that the group's public record doesn't meet the standards that should be met for material shown in a public school assembly. For Gottesman and others, the problem isn't so much with the event itself as it is with the larger precedent it could set for politically connected programs coming into schools without a full review by the community.

Angelique Volpe, the President of the Colts Neck Board of Education, set up the assembly, according to the letter to parents. Eyewitness News tried to get in touch with Volpe for comment, but he didn't respond. Some families feel that the decision was made without enough openness or chance for feedback because she hasn't said anything.

Some parents have already decided that their kids won't go to school during the assembly because of the news. Danielle Alpaugh, the mother of a Cedar Drive Middle School student, said she will keep her child home. She said that she thinks the groups that are taking part are very political and doesn't want her child to hear a message that might not reflect a wide range of views. She wants to use the day to teach her child a civics lesson at home that she thinks will be fair and appropriate for their age.

Eyewitness News also got an email from a different group of parents who didn't want to give their names but said the same things. They said that the program's content was very conservative and not right for a public school. The email said that the decision to invite the tour was an overreach by the Board of Education and did not reflect the values of many families in the district.

For these parents, the main issue is making sure that public schools stay places where students can learn without being pushed by political agendas. As the assembly gets closer, the debate keeps bringing up the tensions that are still going on in communities all over the country when it comes to education, ideology, and what parents expect.

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