Sure, it's more than just her, but I doubt we're going to agree on even a ballpark number or %.
I see some truth in this, but I can't agree w/o qualification...
Progressive politics have always been somewhere left of center, haven't they? How far left they are at any point in time probably depends on perspective. I would say regressive politics are at the high point of my lifetime spanning 9 Presidents, and counterbalancing that trends further left than, say, 2014, when President Obama at least seemed more amenable to progressive stances.
Her ME connections may explain why she is emotional about it, but it doesn't excuse the harm she does to others as a result. Provided it doesn't affect others, we could all do a better job of accommodating such emotions.
Academically, I prefer "racial prejudice" to "racism" in this instance, but it's unacceptable either way. I don't begrudge educators' being provocative, either, as challenging people intellectually is a legitimate part of the job. There's a line, though, and she's crossed it. If any worthwhile dialogue results from this, it's in spite of her, not because of her. Her statements have been unprofessional, indecent, irresponsible, and malicious.
I think the real threat to our education system is buying into the threat you stated. She's not alone, but educators like her don't jeopardize the system anywhere near as badly as bailing on the system does. Public school is under attack b/c people will profit from privatization, because people are threatened by ideas that challenge their views in the course of increasing their knowledge, and because people want more personal control of something that should be communal.
