Local hero: ‘don’t retreat’ from opposition
Death threats, not just against school board members, but their children, are one example of the contentious battles going on in several California school boards. That story comes from Chino Valley, but over in Paso Robles, Kenney Enney chronicles his war trying to transform an educational system that is broken and desperate for accountability.
Enney, who overcame a highly politicized recall election a month into his term on the school board, offers succinct advice: “Don’t retreat from those that want to break you.”
I asked Enney — a retired Marine officer who now farms a ranch — why even get involved in these issues. Enney talked about the public schools being shuttered for so long in California. “It’s unacceptable, particularly since private schools remained open and found ways to make education work for their students.”
A couple of minutes into our conversation he mentioned that his godson committed suicide. I didn’t follow up on that detail or press him for any specifics, but Enney did say that his godson had issues before the school closures. Still, his response is a reminder of the deep and tragic consequences for so many during COVID lockdowns.
For me, it boiled down to one thing and that was the teachers’ union not wanting to go back into the classroom.
In 2021, Enney started out trying to secure a school choice ballot initiative for California. “For me, it boiled down to one thing and that was the teachers’ union not wanting to go back into the classroom.”
It’s a frustration that weighed on many parents across the nation. The whirlwind and policy transformations from shutdowns are still being felt today. Dissenting voices picked up steam as a renewed debate about accountability, transparency over curriculum, and local control remain at the forefront of debates over education.
“By the summer of 2022, I had stirred the pot enough that I was asked to fill a vacancy on the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board,” he says. “I threw my name into the hat and was selected to fill that position.”
Enney was recalled a month into his term when the teacher’s union looked to exact revenge for his outspokenness. He says the bar for a recall is low at only 1.5% of registered voters, of which there are 30,000. “The teachers union is 600 [of the registered voters] and it is my understanding they made up the bulk of those signatures.” He won the recall with over 54% of the vote.
Enney was recalled for opposing and calling attention to what he called pornographic links on a school district webpage. A parent came to him concerned that LGBTQ students were provided website links for 13–24-year-olds to discuss sex. “A mother went into it and masqueraded as a 16-year-old girl, and it was like throwing red meat to a pack of wild dogs,” said Enney.
His immediate concern was for the safety of the children regardless of how they identified sexually. Enney makes it a point to say that he is guided by his Christian faith on issues of human sexuality, but he doesn’t discriminate, and his allegiance is to the Constitution and his oath to the office he holds.
It came to a point where he had to go public with the information just to let parents know what was going on. Enney says the superintendent didn’t want this information out there. He was labeled “a hater” and “bigot” for trying to address concerns over cybersex crimes and says he did more than the system to protect students.
Enney’s campaign to get back on the board went from January until April of 2022. “Academic performance was the cornerstone of what I was pushing.” He doesn’t offer up the predictable platitudes about the need for more money but stresses the importance of getting back to basics to improve academic outcomes and create virtuous citizens.
“If your kid makes a 4.0 and everybody in the school is 3.0 or higher, then why is only one out of four graduates meeting standards in math? Why are only 47% meeting English standards?”
He says it means a lot of tough conversations with parents, teachers, and school leadership. Enney likes to compare Paso Robles with Clovis, an agricultural town 100 miles east with similar demographics. He says their math and English proficiency are at 92% and 70%, adding that their secret to success is a zero-tolerance discipline policy.
Enney says when he shows parents the differences in disciplinary policies between the districts, it’s a fortuitous moment. “Many parents are starting to recognize that they’ve been apathetic, often because of failed district leadership and inaction, and they trusted a system that is failing them.”
He believes clear expectations for students are vital for their academic success in life, dismissing efforts from what he calls “bleeding hearts, that merely embolden bad behavior.”
Leadership is a theme Enney keeps coming back to repeatedly, which makes sense given his experience leading men as a Marine Corps officer.
“When I look around the United States right now, I don’t see a lot of leaders, a lot of people that inspire others to excel beyond what they thought they could personally do,” he says. “I think that’s one of the biggest failings in our schools now. We don’t inspire these children to do much of anything.
“Every board meeting I’ve been to since I was sworn back in May, I’ve highlighted to the superintendent, ‘We suck.’ At least for our little school district, if you look at those three things that the founding fathers wanted, an educated citizenry that had common values and could form a skilled labor force, we’re failing in all three.”
Enney is a proponent of local government and autonomy, too. School districts not only have to worry about federal overreach but state overreach, particularly in California.
He cites Temecula Valley’s sparring with Gov. Gavin Newsome over LGBTQ curriculum for fifth graders and below, and Chino Valley which is engaged in similar fights to protect the rights of parents against aggressive social engineering by activists.
“Once you see one small community stand up, it sets an example. It shows people that, ‘Hey, they can do it. Why can’t we do it?’
“I would love to see school districts across California start banding together and filing class action lawsuits against the state.” Newsom recently threatened Temecula with ‘You’re going to take these books. If you don’t, we’ll buy them for you and fine you.’”
Given his military intelligence background, Enney likens the pushback to uprisings, noting their hard to control and how centralized governments are frightened of not having that control at their disposal.
Like many limited government advocates, he believes nixing the Department of Education and refusing federal dollars when it conflicts with the values of the community are important steps.
“I think there’s a constant intimidation effort on board members. When I got here the first time, I had a conversation with somebody who was progressive on the board who said, ‘Well, I’m not going to risk being sued over something like that.’”
If you’re not willing to stand up and fight, you should resign.
Enney says those in public service need to have fidelity to the Constitution. “If you’re not willing to stand up and fight, you should resign.” In his view, voters and those in the public serving their constituents need to hold leaders more accountable to the oaths they make.
Enney says Newsom’s actions violate the state constitution and believes the strength in numbers for districts is a proactive strategy to protect local interests. “Whether it’s state or federal power we must have the moral courage to reject their overreach.”
Whether it’s dysfunction with discipline in schools or issues of overreach, “Everything boils down to poor leadership, in my opinion.”
Also, “I’m very concerned about emotional safety, not only the physical safety of students.”
Enney believes students shouldn’t be compelled to say or believe things that violate their conscience. “I want students to be proud if they are Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, or even if they are transgender.” He reiterates he may not agree with the worldview of transgender ideology, but students, like all Americans, need space and freedom to live out their values.
He believes all communities deserve that space at the local level and understands that San Francisco has a completely different value system and will implement different policies.
“I know it’s a little bit of an anomaly, but we are still a conservative community in California. We can make sure that what the students are being taught reinforces the values and the virtues of that community,” says Enney. “Again, I don’t see how leftists could get upset with that because that’s a right that they have for their community as well.”
It’s a valid point and one that is too often ignored in our contemporary political world increasingly obsessed with compulsion and control.
