A troubling incident in a Wisconsin high school underscores how public schools are conditioning students to expose — and even denigrate — their political beliefs, in violation of privacy and liberty. Wisconsin conservative radio host Vicki McKenna recently shared on social media a shocking account from Middleton High School, where students in a U.S. government class were compelled to publicly declare their political affiliation.
According to both McKenna’s post and a student’s detailed email, teacher Andrew Hartman required juniors to write their full names on slips of paper labeled by party color: blue for Democrat, red for Republican, and purple for “in between.” Students then had to walk into the hallway, announce their names, state which issues they wanted to “resolve,” declare their political party, and staple their assignments to a bulletin board for the entire school to see.
One female student objected, telling the teacher she felt unsafe after hearing peers sneer at Republicans as “Nazis.” Rather than respecting her concerns, the teacher dismissed them and ordered her to participate. The student, described as “shaking” after class, was told she would be forced to complete the assignment in the next session if she refused again.
A Chilling Violation of Privacy
This episode is more than a bad assignment idea. It demonstrates how far public schools openly ignore their supposed academic mission, and how they now engage in forced political expression that undermines students’ rights.
The secrecy of the ballot is a bedrock principle of a free society. Forcing students to publicly identify their political leanings — under duress from authority — is a violation of that principle, regardless of the students’ age.
Parents and citizens should be alarmed. If a teacher can coerce minors into declaring political allegiances in the hallway, what prevents administrators from justifying similar exercises when those students become voters?
Indoctrination in Place of Education
As laid out on The John Birch Society website, this troubling case reflects a broader national trend of plummeting academic performance — only one-third of students are proficient in reading or math, and just 12 percent of high-school seniors grasp U.S. history. Instead of improving standards, public schools prioritize indoctrination through critical race theory and political shaming. Originally, public-education founders such as Horace Mann and John Dewey aimed for societal transformation rather than academic success. Today, with federal and local agencies promoting radical agendas, we see declining knowledge, growing hostility toward American principles, and persecution of dissenting students.
This growing intrusion is not limited to classroom assignments. On October 9, 2025, Wisconsin’s Democratic legislators introduced SB512/AB534, a bill to allow voter-registration drives inside high schools. The proposal would require municipal clerks to designate registration deputies at every public high school — and even private and tribal schools with “a substantial number” of students — to register minors during the school day, with 17-year-olds automatically added to the voter rolls upon turning 18. In addition to the bill representing a clear threat to election integrity, such government overreach should not extend to private schools, where educational autonomy must be preserved.
Although the bill may be promoted as “civic engagement,” it would transform schools into political recruitment centers. Forcing taxpayer-funded institutions to involve teenagers in partisan voter-registration schemes blurs the line between education and electioneering. It continues the same pattern of government indoctrination and data collection already seen in classroom exercises, conditioning students to accept state control over their beliefs, privacy, and political participation.
The Solution: Get Them Out
Parents who value their children’s safety and liberty must recognize what government schooling has always been: an engine of indoctrination, not education. “Reform” efforts, while well-intentioned, have proven futile. The system is working as designed — to weaken American identity, erode Christian values, and create malleable citizens dependent on the state.
The clear solution is to remove children from these institutions and seek alternatives such as homeschooling or vetted private schools. Homeschoolers consistently outperform their peers academically and socially, while retaining the principles and independence their parents instill. Numerous Christian and classical academies also offer strong alternatives. But the first step is acknowledging that public education cannot be “fixed.” It must be abandoned.
A Wake-up Call for Wisconsin Parents
The Middleton incident serves as a stark reminder of how public schools undermine educational excellence and American principles. Forcing students to publicly expose political identities is intimidation, not education. It is a violation of trust and an affront to the principles of privacy, free conscience, and parental authority.
Wisconsin parents — and parents across the United States — must act now. Stop surrendering your children to the indoctrination mills. Take back control of their education, their principles, and their future. America’s survival as a free republic depends on raising up young men and women who understand liberty, morality, and truth.
