Former foes in the US join forces: Moms for Liberty, teachers unions align to curb classroom screen time

Moms for Liberty, a conservative activist group known for its sharp criticism of teachers' unions, is now working alongside some of those same organisations on a shared concern: limiting the use of technology in public school classrooms.

The shift comes after years of hostility. Since its founding in 2021, Moms for Liberty has described teachers unions as an “education mafia” that parents “cannot trust,” blaming them for pandemic-era school closures and accusing educators who provide LGBTQ-themed books of being “groomers.” The group has also labelled unions “radical,” saying they “don’t care about kids” and “prioritize power over students” as reported by the NBC News. Despite that record, both sides are now backing efforts to curb students’ screen time.

Iowa Bill draws support from both sides

In Iowa, the state’s teachers union is supporting a bill co-sponsored by a Republican lawmaker who is also a Moms for Liberty chapter leader. The proposal would restrict elementary school students’ use of computers and allow parents to opt their children out of device-based instruction.

“We don’t want to immediately tune someone out just because of our perceptions about their organization,” Melissa Peterson, a lobbyist for the Iowa State Education Association told NBC News. She added that she welcomes Moms for Liberty to the table “if they want to use their powers for good.”

Moms for Liberty leaders responded in kind. Addressing teachers unions, CEO Tina Descovich said: “Welcome to the fight,” as reported by NBC News.

Descovich continued to criticise national unions, calling them “despicable,” but signalled support for cooperation at the state level. “When they’re willing to put parental rights of children first and defend parental rights, we will stand with them every time,” she said, quoted by NBC News.

Push gains traction across states

The issue of education technology has drawn attention from parents across political lines. In districts from Los Angeles to the Washington, D.C., suburbs, groups of conservative and liberal parents are urging schools to reduce reliance on laptops and tablets, pointing to concerns about behaviour, attention, and exposure to inappropriate online content.

The push has led to a series of bipartisan proposals in state legislatures. Advocacy groups including Defending Education and Utah Parents United have joined Moms for Liberty in supporting limits on classroom technology.

“It really cuts across partisan lines in a way that I haven’t seen in a long time,” Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation told NBC News. “A lot of other issues are clearly dividing people in a partisan way, but this one doesn’t seem to.”

He added that the issue presents an opportunity for conservatives “to make inroads with people on the ground and everyday parents who might not have been as supportive of right-leaning groups in the past.”

Mixed response from Teachers’ Unions

Teachers unions are not unified on the issue. National organisations, including the American Federation of Teachers, have generally supported the use of technology in classrooms, though some leaders say limits may be necessary.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said to NBC News that the collaboration sends a broader message. “It shows that we’re not enemies,” she said. “It shows that we may have a difference on an issue or two, but at the end of the day, teachers, their unions and families really want the best for our kids.”

At the state level, positions vary. The Kansas branch of the National Education Association has opposed legislation banning devices for younger students. In Missouri, however, the union’s state chapter supported a bill to study and set limits on school-issued technology.

In Iowa, after the state House passed the proposal, Moms for Liberty called it “a bipartisan win for Iowa students,” and highlighted support from Democratic co-sponsor Rep. Heather Matson.

A shift in strategy

Education researchers say the focus on technology changes the nature of the debate. John Rogers, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said to NBC News that earlier disputes over books and curriculum often became personal, with teachers and librarians accused of political bias.

By comparison, concerns about technology are directed more at systems and companies. For local advocates, the issue is being framed around student outcomes.

Common ground, with limits

The cooperation does not erase deeper disagreements over curriculum and education policy. But on the question of screen time, groups that have often been at odds are, for now, pushing in the same direction, backing limits they say will benefit students’ learning and well-being.
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