If It Can Happen in California, It Can Happen Anywhere

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 18:43:00 +0000

On Monday, October 30, The New York Times published a piece on the extremism hitting far-right school boards and the impact that the divisive policies that are being brought have on these communities.

Showing the far-right's true colors, here is one of the more illuminating parts and a quote from the article, from a sitting California State Assemblymember:

"'Mr. Essayli also appeared at the meeting almost 50 miles from his district, where he argued that parents should know and control everything about how their children are educated. “I think it is completely disrespectful that you took a whole hour to listen from children,�� he added.""

Read the full article .

Issue Highlight: Chronic Absenteeism in Nation's Public Schools

Christina Gagnier — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:07:00 +0000

Attendance in our nation's public schools has seen a decline since the pandemic.

While many thought attendance numbers would readjust, the reality is that we are missing students in our public schools, many of whom are not receiving the quality of education and services that they are desperately in need of.

From the article:

"New data released on the from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) shows chronic absenteeism, defined as students missing more than 10 percent of the school year, went from 15 percent in 2018 to 29 percent in 2022."

The districts feeling the greatest impacts are ones with high poverty rates and districts with a high minority population.

Read the full article .

Scholastic Books & Controversy? Why A Beloved Book Fair Vendor is Getting Attacked on All Sides

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 20:47:00 +0000

Scholastic's book fairs were first attacked by far-right extremists for having inappropriate and obscene content. In order to preserve their beloved book fairs, Scholastic announced it would create an optional "Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice�� diversity collection, an announcement met with controversy since the titles that are optional include books on diversity, including that of Ruby Bridges' own story.

Ohio State Board of Education Sues Governor DeWine Over Changes That Would Strip Voters of Right to Select Their Representative Board Members

Christina Gagnier — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 05:22:53 +0000

Governors throughout the country are attacking public education, with Ohio Governor DeWine making moves to attempt to replace the currently elected State Board of Education with appointees that would be selected by the Governor himself, as well as strip the Board of most of its power.

The Board of Education sued, and a temporary restraining order is in place until a further hearing can be had. In the meantime, the existing Ohio Education Department has been replaced.

This is just the latest in the right's attempt to take power out of the hands of voters when it comes to public education.

Make Sure to Pay Attention to What the Candidates Say About Public Education on Wednesday Night

Christina Gagnier — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 01:23:19 +0000

Public education was addressed by GOP candidates in the first debate in August 2023, with calls to dismantle the federal Department of Education, attacks on teachers' unions, and references to a crackdown on "wokeness" in public schools. Let's see what's said this Wednesday night when the debates are televised live at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET.

Learn more here:

The Atmosphere of Distrust Being Created in the Nation's Public Schools Unhealthy for Students and Teachers

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 15:21:14 +0000

South Carolina educator Mary Wood assigned Ta-Nehisi Coates's book "Between the World and Me" in her Advanced Placement English Language and Composition last year. Students complained to their parents, and Wood was ordered to stop the lesson and received a formal letter of reprimand in her personnel file. It sparked an entire debate in her town, of whether she should be fired and whether the book should be taught, in a now often-heard story about curriculum and culture wars.

188�� Chief Operating Officer Kristi Hirst Speaks at California State Capitol

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:47:02 +0000

Joining members of the California State Legislature and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Kristi Hirst speaks regarding parent rights for all parents and creating schools that are supportive of all students.

Watch her speech .

GOP Presidential Candidates Align At First Debate on Wanting to Abolish the Federal Department of Education

Christina Gagnier — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 18:50:55 +0000

While the candidates traded jabs and had disagreements on some issues at the first GOP debate of the 2024 election cycle, they did agree on one thing: abolishing the federal Department of Education.

Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy stated, “Let’s shut down the head of the snake: the Department of Education. Take that $80 billion [and] put it in the hands of parents across this country. This is the civil rights issue of our time.��

188�� SLO County Organizes Big to Defend a Teacher and Promote Student Inclusivity

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:47:12 +0000

We want to highlight the organizing successes of our chapters across the country.

Just this last week, 188�� SLO County helped to organize parents and community members to defend a teacher who had flown a Pride flag in her classroom.

Attorney Generals in Two States Now Investigating and Using Legal Strategies to Protect Students

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 18:35:00 +0000

Attorney Generals are taking the lead to protect students under attack by far-right extreme policies.

On Friday, August 4, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into the Chino Valley Unified School District over a policy that would "out" LGBTQIA+ students.

Read more .

Previously, on June 22, 2023, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the filing of complaints and preliminary injunctions against parental notification policies that adversely affect LGBTQIA+ students.

Moms for Liberty States Health Care Has No Place in Public Schools

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 03:48:07 +0000

Last week, Moms for Liberty took their platform a step further and responded to an official POTUS (President of the United States of America) tweet about mental health care services expansion.

The President’s tweet made no mention of health care in public schools, but Moms for Liberty’s response made the leap to public schools. They replied that, “Mental health care is health care Mr. President. That’s why it has NO place in public schools.��

When another Twitter user called attention to their tweet, they doubled down, reaffirming that they indeed believe health care has NO place in public schools.

After a few days, they tried to walk back their position by tweeting that there is a lack of licensed health care professionals in public schools and that, actually, that is the problem with healthcare in schools. Read more .

CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thrown Out of School Board Meeting in Southern California by Far-Right Moms for Liberty Board President

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 03:57:52 +0000

On July 20, the Chino Valley Unified School District (a school district on the border of Orange and Los Angeles Counties in Southern California) passed a “Parental Rights�� policy requiring that all school staff must report within 72 hours, in writing, if any student asks to go by a pronoun, use the facility of or play on the team that aligns with a gender other then what is on their birth certificate.

California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond attended the meeting and addressed the Board during public comment. The meeting took a turn, with the Board President kicking him out.

After Superintendent Thurmond’s time ended, he made his way back to his seat, but the Board President began to chastise and attack Mr. Thurmond verbally, prompting Superintendent Thurmond to return to the podium.

As a response, the Board President asked school resource officers to remove Superintendent Thurmond from the meeting.

Moms for Liberty Hosts Annual Summit Outlining Strategies

Christina Gagnier — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 23:01:59 +0000

Earlier this month, Moms for Liberty had their annual summit in Philadelphia, PA. While there are many noteworthy points that need to be focused on, including how they funded their event, who funded it, the guest speakers, and the tactics and strategies the attendees were trained to use, we want to draw your attention to articles from journalists who were there in-person to attend the summit.

As detailed by journalist Olivia Little in a Media Matters article, attendees were guided on implementing Moms for Liberty ideals in their communities.

Jordan Adams, a consultant and owner of Vermilion Education, had a session outlining what Moms for Liberty candidates should do once they have taken over school boards. He described the first 100 days in office, directing attendees to “bombard the district with an array of demands and changes so that the opposition can’t keep up.�� There was even an outline of steps to take month-by-month.

Another session taught attendees all about how dark money is infiltrating public education, telling moms that they need to follow the money (conveniently leaving out the fact that Moms for Liberty themselves are heavily funded by dark money).

If you have not done so already, we highly recommend reading this Media Matters .

Attack on LGBTQIA Rights Brings Lawsuits Against New Jersey School Districts

Christina Gagnier — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 21:06:31 +0000

The New Jersey Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against three school districts. These districts that are subject to these suits all enacted new policies on June 20, 2023, requiring school staff to report if students show any signs of changing their gender identity.

As stated in , “The lawsuits, filed Wednesday by Attorney General Matt Platkin against the Manalapan-Englishtown, Marlboro and Middletown school districts and boards, allege the policies violate New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination and put transgender students at risk.��

A similar policy is set to be adopted by a Southern California district next month. Like New Jersey, California state has similar laws in place to protect transgender students. Read more .

Oklahoma Approves First Openly Religious Charter School in the Nation

Christina Gagnier — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 15:58:32 +0000

Making a move that has the potential to impact the entire country, Oklahoma has officially approved the first openly religious charter school. This decision is certain to be appealed, with those advocating for this to pass hoping that the case makes it to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). Should SCOTUS decide to hear this case, this could open the door to public tax dollars being used to fund private religious schools across the country. There is a long standing precedence of the separation of church and state, so it is to be determined how SCOTUS would rule on this case. Given their recent pattern of going against previously established precedence, many are concerned.

As stated in , “The move was opposed by a range of groups, including pastors and religious leaders in Oklahoma, advocates for public schools and members of the charter school movement.��

Read the full The New York Times article .

Costly Lawsuits Over School Prayer Hit Public Schools

Christina Gagnier — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:08:22 +0000

In last year’s Supreme Court case, Kennedy v. Bremerton, the majority ruled in favor of Joseph Kennedy, a high school football coach employed by a school district in Washington. Kennedy was asked to stop praying on the 50-yard line after games. The district argued that during this time, he was still “on duty�� and perceived to be praying in his official job capacity as a coach - and the prayers were attracting a lot of unwanted attention and chaos at the games. Kennedy refused to stop praying publicly and was placed on administrative leave, eventually leading to legal action. The SCOTUS decision in June 2022 stated that school employees had the right to pray in a private capacity, and the majority considered Kennedy’s actions post-game to fall within this scope.Read more about Kennedy v. Bremerton .

But Kennedy v. Bremerton isn’t the only school prayer case to make its way into a higher court. In Southern California’s Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), two school board members brought on a lawsuit when they not only prayed from the dias, but would also preach for upwards of ten to fifteen minutes at a time. The board members, Andrew Cruz and James Na, refused to stop their religious actions. Their refusal, combined with support from one other board member, cost CVUSD nearly $300,000 in legal fees. Na and Cruz were asked to stop by community members, but refused, leading the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) to file a lawsuit on behalf of concerned community members.

Jack Hibbs, leader of a local megachurch, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, encouraged the CVUSD Board to fight the lawsuit with a promise of paying all legal fees. The majority of the Board at that time voted to enter a legal battle, but the community voiced its displeasure with the unnecessary legal spending by electing a new board majority who swiftly stopped the lawsuit from any further action or appeals.

CVUSD never saw any of the money promised by Jack Hibbs and his church, and this case died just shy of an appeal to the Supreme Court. Read more about this case and .

The Kennedy v. Bremerton decision is renewing efforts by some to bring more prayer into public schools. CVUSD board member Andrew Cruz has incorrectly interpreted SCOTUS’s Bremerton decision to mean he could resume praying and preaching from the school board dias.

In a public school board meeting just after the decision was released, Cruz indicated he wanted the CVUSD Superintendent to look into bringing prayer back to the board meetings. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, who previously fought CVUSD in court, were alerted to Cruz’s interest in the Bremerton decision and issued an official letter of warning that the decision did not, in fact, allow for prayer in school board meetings. Read the entire FFRF letter to the CVUSD board .

CVUSD is not the only district where religiously rogue school board members interpreted Bremerton as legal approval for public prayer. In January 2023, the Gateway Unified School District board members in Redding, California, voted 3-2 to open each meeting with a Christian prayer. According to local news, board member Lindsi Haynes can be heard praying and also saying the meeting time will be “committed�� to “God.�� Many parents have voiced opposition to Gateway’s new board policy, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation requested that the board immediately cease their public prayers. Read more about the ongoing situation .

On Alert: What’s the Story with Florida Potentially Mandating Period History from Female High School Athletes

Christina Gagnier — Sun, 05 Feb 2023 20:22:36 +0000

Florida has made headlines across the country as parents and pediatricians are shocked at the prospect of female athletes being required to answer all mensuration questions, and that these answers will be submitted electronically and the information stored in a database.

What is going on in Florida?

For the last 20 years, student athletes in Florida have been required to have a sports physical to participate in high school athletics, and menstruation history has always been a part of this physical. However, until last fall, these questions were optional, and the form was a handwritten copy turned into the school. This is common practice across the nation as menstruation is an important indicator of female health. However, turning this information over to schools is not common.

So what changed?

Last fall, Florida moved to change sports physical evaluations from handwritten forms to a digital form to be stored by the sports management software company Aktivate. According to their privacy policy and federal law, these records would be subject to legal subpoenas.

As stated by this switch “raised red flags about student privacy�� and that “critics of the policy say the change puts trans and reproductive rights at risk.�� According to , the form contains a �� females only�� section which asks the following questions:

Whether the student has ever had a period;
The age they had their first period;
How long the interval between their periods typically lasts;
How many periods they had in the last year; and
The longest interval between periods in the last year.

According to , a Palm Beach County School District has asked the Florida High School Athletic Association - the organization who sets policy related to student athletes - to remove all questions about menstruation history. On January 17, 2023, The Florida High School Athletic Association announced that they would not be removing menstruation questions, and they took it a step further recommending that the questions be mandatory.

The public reaction to this announcement was overwhelmingly in opposition. Many parents and medical experts expressed their concern over the invasion of student privacy. On February 9, 2023, an emergency meeting for the Board of the Association was called, and the Board voted to remove all questions regarding menstruation. However, they also voted to change another question, amending the form to ask for “sex at birth�� where it previously just asked for the student’s sex. Read more about this .

Advanced Placement Classes at Risk

Christina Gagnier — Sat, 04 Feb 2023 19:42:14 +0000

Advanced Placement classes are usually considered assets in school districts. These classes, referred to as AP classes, allow students the opportunity to earn college credits before graduating high school, saving future college tuition costs. Additionally, since these classes are regulated nationally and are regarded as academically rigorous, college admissions departments look at these classes as an indication that a student will be able to handle the demands of the work on that particular campus. Read more about how AP classes help students .

Recent Critical Race Theory (CRT) bans have placed some districts and states at risk for losing their AP status for certain courses. These policies are used to ban “divisive�� or “controversial�� topics. On March 2, 2022, the College Board - the organization that runs the AP program - sent all AP teachers a letter reminding them of the they must adhere to to retain their AP status. Not only is it against their policy to censure ideas, there are specific topics and sources required to be used in some courses. Omitting any of these, or censuring teachers, places that class at risk of losing their AP designation.

The Board has stated students in such classes will have their transcripts altered to remove the AP designation. In September 2022, the College Board to Texas that their AP classes were at risk of losing their designation after new legislation limited the teaching of race. Read more .

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has taken things one step further and an AP class on African American Studies. DeSantis claimed the course went against Florida state law and had no academic value. Shortly after this announcement, the College Board released the official framework for this course, and many topics DeSantis had criticized had been omitted. Critics have accused the College Board of caving to political pressure.

To address these allegations, the College Board posted a response that the changes made to the course were not in response to Florida’s demands. However, a statement made by the College Board two days later clarified that they did keep in mind the laws being passed across more than 18 states restricting topics that are taught. The statement read: “We recognize that in some states teachers and students will be able to draw more widely on Black Studies scholarship than in others��.By filling the course with concrete examples of the foundational concepts in this discipline, we have given teachers the flexibility to teach the essential content without putting their livelihoods at risk.�� Read the full story .

Book Bans Turn to Online Library Applications

Christina Gagnier — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 02:34:00 +0000

The last few years have brought a wave of book bans across the United States. What began as banning books under the cover of Critical Race Theory (CRT) bans has morphed into far-right groups demanding that books be pulled from student access that they deem objectionable.

Banned books often feature perspectives that reflect the experiences of LGBTQIA characters and characters of color. A recent article in details the changes coming to Florida because of a new state law passed last year. Librarians will be trained on how to choose and remove books to comply with the law. All staff “are prohibited from using any instructional materials that include critical race theory, culturally responsive teaching, social-emotional learning, (and) social justice.�� Additionally, teachers in Florida are not permitted to make decisions about what books are appropriate per HB 1467. One county went as far as telling their teachers they could be charged with a felony if they violated this law. Read more .

Book bans have extended beyond classroom and school libraries, and these same groups are now targeting online library applications, which have greatly expanded access to books for many students. A school district outside of Nashville cut access for 40,000 students to the Epic application for a week after the superintendent searched books available to her kindergartner and found books supporting LGBTQ pride. Read the full article . According to , similar actions have taken place in Texas, Florida, and Utah.

While in previous years we have seen such bans occurring more often in states with Republican leadership, multiple California school districts being taken over by far-right representatives has brought this battle to the West Coast. On January 29, 2023, parents in Orange Unified School District were emailed by the newly appointed interim superintendent, Edward Velasquez, that the entire district’s access to their online library application, SOAR, would be cut effective immediately. Since teachers were given no advance notice, they were left scrambling to find alternative places for students to find books they were using to complete current projects. According to the , the district has a $30,000 contract with OverDrive, the parent company of the application. This contract is renewed every January and has not yet been approved this year. You can view Mr. Velasquez’s message . Access to SOAR was restored after massive parent outcry.

We will continue to monitor this issue in OUSD and other districts.

On Alert: Highly Qualified Superintendents and Cabinet Members Fired Across California

Christina Gagnier — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 17:15:07 +0000

As California sees a wave of school boards gaining right-wing members, those districts where they have clenched a board majority have begun to see the effects this will have on their communities.

Within the first month they took office, two California school district’s boards called emergency meetings and fired highly praised, effective superintendents without cause and with very little warning or community input.

Gateway Unified School District’s newly sworn in board called a last-minute special meeting on December 20, 2022, where they voted 3-2 to fire Jim Harrell, their long time superintendent without cause. According to the Shasta Scout, this decision will cost taxpayers around $180,000 in severance payments.

Top Stories - 188����

If It Can Happen in California, It Can Happen Anywhere

Issue Highlight: Chronic Absenteeism in Nation's Public Schools

Scholastic Books & Controversy? Why A Beloved Book Fair Vendor is Getting Attacked on All Sides

Ohio State Board of Education Sues Governor DeWine Over Changes That Would Strip Voters of Right to Select Their Representative Board Members

Make Sure to Pay Attention to What the Candidates Say About Public Education on Wednesday Night

The Atmosphere of Distrust Being Created in the Nation's Public Schools Unhealthy for Students and Teachers

188���� Chief Operating Officer Kristi Hirst Speaks at California State Capitol

GOP Presidential Candidates Align At First Debate on Wanting to Abolish the Federal Department of Education

188���� SLO County Organizes Big to Defend a Teacher and Promote Student Inclusivity

Attorney Generals in Two States Now Investigating and Using Legal Strategies to Protect Students

Moms for Liberty States Health Care Has No Place in Public Schools

CA State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thrown Out of School Board Meeting in Southern California by Far-Right Moms for Liberty Board President

Moms for Liberty Hosts Annual Summit Outlining Strategies

Attack on LGBTQIA Rights Brings Lawsuits Against New Jersey School Districts

Oklahoma Approves First Openly Religious Charter School in the Nation

Costly Lawsuits Over School Prayer Hit Public Schools

On Alert: What’s the Story with Florida Potentially Mandating Period History from Female High School Athletes

Advanced Placement Classes at Risk

Book Bans Turn to Online Library Applications

On Alert: Highly Qualified Superintendents and Cabinet Members Fired Across California

Top Stories - 188��

188�� Chief Operating Officer Kristi Hirst Speaks at California State Capitol

188�� SLO County Organizes Big to Defend a Teacher and Promote Student Inclusivity