The prospect of greater transparency and a return to parental involvement in their children's education appears to have sent teachers in California's Newport-Mesa Unified School District into a panic.
Parental rights advocates told Blaze News that the sense of hopelessness is another sign that the tide is turning in parents' favor.
The announcement was made by Matt Armstrong, an English teacher at Newport Harbor High School, and many fellow travelers in the area.
Editorial Thursday's Los Angeles Times Daily Pilot accused the current candidates seeking election to the NMUSD Board of Governors for daring to defend parents' rights.
Although Mr. Armstrong and the signatories of the op-ed declined to explicitly name the candidates, they seemed to mention the following:
Philip Stemler Administrator area 3 and amy peters Located in administrator area 6.
“We understand that it is popular in some circles to criticize public institutions and denigrate teachers,” Armstrong and colleagues wrote. “With that in mind, the teacher signatories and I want to emphasize that declaring 'parental rights' serves two purposes: to intimidate teachers in the community and to censor the materials available to students. I would like to make it clear that this is a standard for
The opinion says parents are “not deprived of any rights,” but Democrats' legislation aims to silence parents about consequential decisions regarding their children and to impose racist and LGBT propaganda on children. He is said to be threatening to overthrow the city.
Cory A. DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Culture Project and executive director of the Cato Institute Center for Educational Freedom, told Blaze News, “Their argument that parents are not being stripped of any rights. is gaslighting at its finest. California politicians are fighting for it.” Please keep this a secret from public school parents.”
Governor Gavin Newsom (Democratic Party)
ratified The so-called AB 1955, the so-called Safety Act, was enacted in July.
“They think they own other people's children.”
The legislation, first introduced by gay Rep. Christopher Ward (D) and supported by the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, would allow school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools to: prohibits the introduction or enforcement of any rules, regulations or policies such as: It requires employees to disclose “any information regarding a student's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression” to parents.
Because of AB 1955, NMUSD parents cannot contest this issue.
District policy It would require educators to hide a child's so-called “transgender or gender nonconforming status” from parents “when appropriate.”
Armstrong and his colleagues argue in an editorial:
If elected, these people would overturn the qualifications and experience of school educators by adopting policies designed to challenge California law. They will use their position of public trust in bipartisan local school boards to pursue their partisan agenda of overturning the California Safeguards Act. These priorities expose our districts to costly litigation if we lose. This is where “defending parental rights” leads us.
according to her candidate statementIn addition to addressing the district's suboptimal academic performance and “poor fiscal health,” Peters, a mother of three and former educator, said she wants to “restore the parent-educator partnership.” We would like to strive to ensure transparency and responsiveness.” Governance and leadership are prioritized. ”
daily pilot
shown Peters said he has publicly criticized AB 1955.
“I don't think that information should be divulged to parents,” she said at a recent forum hosted by the Port Council PTA at Back Bay High School. “The secrecy happening on school campuses is driving a wedge between schools and parents, teachers and children.”
Stemler, a San Bernardino County deputy district attorney and father of two who was endorsed by Newport Beach Mayor Will O'Neill, similarly emphasized the need for transparency in his policies.
candidate statementfurther pointed out that “when it comes to the problems facing students today, families are the solution, not the problem.”
Stemler added, “Parent and family involvement is essential to student success. We must end policies that drive a wedge between parents and students.”
Both Stemler and Peters have reportedly expressed interest in challenging state laws that undermine parental rights.
“With the onslaught of state laws and regulations governing our schools, we need people like me who have courtroom and litigation experience and who stand up for what's right,” Stemler said. spoke.
After warning that student reading choices could be localized if parental rights advocates were elected, Armstrong and others warned that “those who 'fight for parental rights' doesn't care about your rights or your children at all.”
Blaze News reached out to Peters and Stemler for comment, but did not receive a response by deadline.
DeAngelis told Blaze News that the editorial's claims “raise serious red flags. Public school officials who attack parents' rights in education cannot be trusted.”
“They think they own other people's children,” DeAngelis continued. “It's time for parents to hold tyrants accountable at the polls.”
“They see parents as a danger and think they should be kept out of the way.”
Alvin Louie, President of Parental Rights Advocacy Group
courage is a habittold Blaze News that the “gaslighting tactics” employed in this op-ed are now routinely advanced by K-12 government educators and administrators: “We are parents,” he said. People who know better. ”
Louis said the growing backlash from parents across the country is partly a result of this brazen anti-parent sentiment in the school system.
“The school doesn't even hide how much it disrespects parents' rights,” Lui said. ”[Educators] They believe they know better than their parents. They believe their values are superior and that their parents are backwards and biased. …They see their parents as a danger and think they should stay out of the way. ”
The op-ed is “another great example of why more parents should push back even harder,” Louis added. “This is a classic manipulator tactic. DARVO is all about denying, attacking, and turning the tables on victim and perpetrator. That's exactly what they're doing.”
Like Louis, DeAngelis also pointed to a silver lining regarding the current battle in schools.
“The good news is that the parents will wake up and never go back to sleep,” DeAngelis told Blaze News. “For defenders of the status quo, parental power is the scariest thing of all, which is why teachers' unions resort to attacking parents who want more say in their children's education.”
DeAngelis added that the U.S. Supreme Court “is a famous story.” dominated In 1925, he argued that “children are not mere creatures of the state.'' California politicians would be wise to remember that quote today. ”
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