Parents across the country have been speaking out against their local school boards over what they perceive to be progressive agendas, particularly the popular rise of critical race theory.
Moynihan shared a screenshot of a tweet Tuesday from former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo supporting parents in their fight, writing, "I think parents should decide what children are taught in schools. That is all." Moynihan juxtaposed the quote next to a cartoon depicting a plane full of passengers arrogantly saying they could fly the aircraft better than the pilot, along with the caption, "Same energy."
In one follow-up tweet, Moynihan added, "Pompeo is a West Point grad. Perhaps he should return there and tell the graduates that their parents should determine the curriculum. Better yet, why not let tell military leaders that their parents are going to run things from now on? Who needs expertise?"
Conservative critics blasted his take as "astounding" and "ignorant."
Some, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw, responded to the professor's take with their own comparison.
"Parents are the primary educators of their children," American Federation for Children national director of research Corey DeAngelis told Fox News Digital. "The reality is that families know and care more about their children's needs than bureaucrats sitting in offices hundreds of miles away."
"Customers of nearly every other industry can switch providers whenever their needs aren't met," he added. "But families are stuck in a one-size-fits-all monopoly system when it comes to K-12 education. Families don't have to take over the grocery store workers' jobs to get what they need. They can simply vote with their feet to another provider. The same goes when families use taxpayer-funded initiatives like food stamps. The money follows the decision of the family. The same should go for K-12 education: we should fund students, not systems."
Moynihan, seeing the negative attention his tweet received, defended his controversial take.
"Lot of replies now explaining that teaching is not like flying a plane, and I’m not quite sure how to explain that the cartoon is not literally about flying a plane," he said.
In his tweet declaring parents should have an influence in what their kids are learning, Pompeo was responding to Democrat Terry McAuliffe's controversial remark at last week's Virginia gubernatorial debate against Republican Glenn Youngkin.
"I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach," McAuliffe said.
President of Loudon County GOP Women’s Club Patti Hidalgo Menders, mother to six boys, was among the many parents who said McAuliffe’s comments were "just wrong."
"Parents are the first educators of any child, and we do elect these local elected officials to represent us and our children, and what he said is that parents are not allowed to have a say on what our children learn, and that’s just wrong," Menders said.
Parents have also ripped the Department of Justice for its recent decision to investigate potential acts of violence against school boards across the country after the National School Boards Association asked the Biden administration for assistance.
"I am what a domestic terrorist looks like?" Asra Nomani, vice president of investigations and strategy at Parents Defending Education, asked. "You owe parents an apology!"