JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
Their minds are open. Let's keep it that way.
Welcome to THINC Foundation’s newsletter! Releasing semi-monthly, it contains our views on key developments in Liberated Ethnic Studies (LES) in K-12 schools as well as relevant news articles and timely calls to action.
K-12 Education Needs Viewpoint Diversity More Than Ever in the AI Era
By Mitch Siegler, Founder
When students are taught what to think rather than how to think, the consequences for society are enormous. And in the age of artificial intelligence, they will be that much more dire.
Over the past several years, we’ve seen the downstream effects of an education system that too often prioritizes ideology over inquiry: plummeting test scores in reading and mathematics.
Another disturbing manifestation is the wave of pro-Hamas protests and encampments on the campuses of some of the United States’ most prestigious universities. These activities did not emerge from a vacuum. They reflect years of schooling in which students were discouraged from grappling with competing ideas, weighing evidence, and engaging respectfully with opposing viewpoints. Instead, many were trained to see the world through rigid ideological frameworks that reward conformity and punish dissent.
This troubling trend may prove to be only a warm-up act.
As we move rapidly toward an AI-centered world, the demands placed on today’s students will intensify dramatically. Many of the jobs and industries that will define our economy in a decade do not yet exist. Automation and artificial intelligence will generate content instantly and even mimic human reasoning. There already is a veritable flood of information, and it can be difficult to discern truth from lies. As AI models evolve, the pace of change will only increase. Critical thinking skills will be essential for today’s students to navigate this rapidly changing environment.
Students must learn how to question assumptions, including their own, and handle complexity without retreating into simplistic slogans or tribal thinking. They must learn how to debate difficult issues in good faith and how to disagree in an agreeable and productive manner. They must learn the facts of history so that they don’t believe whatever they read or see on social media or the latest conspiracy theory generated by AI.
K–12 education should be preparing students for that future, not narrowing their intellectual horizons. Classrooms must be places where students are exposed to a range of perspectives, encouraged to test ideas against evidence, and taught to think independently rather than defer reflexively to authority or ideology.
This is the core mission of THINC Foundation. Through our advocacy for Transparency, Honesty, and Integrity in the Classroom, THINC promotes an approach that emphasizes civics, mutual respect, and teaching students how to think critically. As we embark into the unknown, such a constructive methodology is more necessary than ever.
Liberated Ethnic Studies (LES) Activists in Their Own Words
We talk a lot about the LES movement’s extreme positions, but what does that look like in practice? Take a look at these quotes from prominent LES leaders.
“[White Supremacy Culture] is the water we are swimming in. The trouble is we don’t even see it. The Standing Up for Racial Justice coalition defines White Supremacy Culture as ‘the idea (ideology) that white people and the ideas, thoughts, beliefs, and actions of white people are superior to those of People of Color.’ Don’t be confused. One does not have to be a white supremacist to hold these beliefs, because we have all been conditioned through exposure to media, parenting, schooling, and our interactions with power structures. Even I, a black educator who has studied ethnic studies and critical race theory, still perpetuate tenets of White Supremacy Culture”
– Joe Truss, then principal of Visitacion Valley Middle School in San Francisco and a racial equity consultant and coach
“[White supremacy] is a plague that permeates every aspect of our shared society. At the same time as it threatens to strip people of color — especially Black — of their lives and freedom, it corrodes the logic, reason and future of our society as a whole. White supremacy is also a deeply embedded feature of our education system even as it runs counter to the values we claim to hold in pursuit of education”
– Xian Franzinger Barrett, founding member of EduColor and former U.S. Department of Education Classroom Teaching Ambassador Fellow
“White supremacy culture shows up in math classrooms when ‘good’ math teaching is considered an antidote for mathematical inequity for Black, Latinx, multilingual students… students are required to ‘show their work’ in standardized, prescribed ways… contrived word problems are valued over the math in students’ lived experiences… independent practice is valued over teamwork or collaboration… and there is a greater focus on getting the ‘right answer’ than understanding concepts and reasoning”
– Equitable Math, A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction: Dismantling Racism in Mathematics Instruction
THINC Voices
Singer-songwriter John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting) warns that ideological indoctrination in our classrooms is starting earlier than ever.
THINC in the News
Minnesota to Mandate K-12 Ethnic Studies Instruction in 2026
by Aaron Gifford, The Epoch Times, December 31, 2025
Support our Work
Our continued work depends on the generosity of people like you! Please consider making a contribution to THINC to fund our continued work to combat Liberated Ethnic Studies and advocate for more constructive education in K-12 schools.
THINC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is qualified to receive tax-deductible donations.
