for children
& parental rights
here's a few things you can do.
Is your school exposing your child to sexuality content through books, anti-bullying programs, assemblies, or other core subject content (health, social studies, English, etc.)? What Sex Ed curriculum is your school district using? Is your district in the process of reviewing or changing Sex Ed curriculum? Are you able to be a part of that process? Are you able to review the Sex Ed curriculum used by your school? (In Michigan, you can.) Is your child developmentally able to discern content they might be exposed to? Is your school implementing bathroom policies which put your child at risk of harm?
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CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS. Private schools, charter schools, and homeschooling provide great alternatives to public schools, and with some research you may be able to find a better option for your child which aligns with your beliefs. If you are interested in homeschooling, many parents who homeschool are happy to help point you in the direction of great resources for you and your child. Removal of children from public schools removes funding from schools, and may in time help redirect the decisions of education leaders on these matters.
Not all parents are able to use an alternative school option. We advocate for child protection through alternative schools when needed, but also for parents who remove their children from public schools to remain engaged in school district policy and state legislation for the sake of the children who remain in public schools out of necessity.
Will you be able to protect your child from sexualized content in the school? How engaged will you need to be with the school in order to ensure your child is protected? Do you have the time and ability to advocate for your child's protection? What is your level of trust in your district administration and teachers to ensure your child will not be exposed to sexualized content you do not consent to? Is your child of an age where they can exercise discernment with what is taught? Is your child likely or able to tell you if there is a concern?
DOCUMENT. Communicate with your school what your child may not be exposed to. Put it in writing and ask it be placed in your child's educational record. You may use the Parental Non-Consent Form.
Don't take push back personally. Those advocating for the sexualization of children silence opposition with accusations of hate and bigotry. Do not let the bullying of your beliefs silence your efforts to protect your child.
Elect politicians and School Board members committed to parental rights and student innocence. Help recruit and support excellent School Board candidates, and consider running for office yourself.
Connect with like minded parents and citizens, and organize a group to work together. Attend School Board meetings and educate your community on sexuality content being used at school, and any school policies of concern.
Volunteer for your district's Sex Ed Advisory Board (SEAB in MI) or other School Board subcommittees working on sexuality content issues, such as DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusion) subcommittees.
Advocate with school and district leadership for student innocence and Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) Sex Ed curriculum with conversation, letters, and comments at School Board meetings.
Review your state's Sex Ed legislation and required processes for implementing Sex Ed and sexuality content, as well as whether you have an option to opt your child out of Sex Ed and sexuality content.
Rick Warren
"Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate."
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If you believe your school is violating parental rights and acting outside of state law, contact your State Representative and Senator to help you and your school clarify the law, as well as support you in your efforts with your school. If your state legislature is working on Sex Ed issues, be sure to communicate your concerns regarding Comprehensive Sex Education to your legislators, and attend and be willing to testify at any legislative hearings on Sex Ed. Our politicians are people just like us, working for us, so don't feel intimidated.
If your state leans Blue, you will need to be especially watchful of legislation related to sexuality issues in school, and be in communication with legislators.
What curriculum is your school district using? Is your district in the process of reviewing or changing sex ed curriculum? In Michigan, parents can review the Sex Ed curriculum used for their children. Is your district exposing your child to sexuality content through other books, programs, or other subject content? Would your child be able to process content they might be exposed to?
TRUE TOLERANCE by Focus on the Family & the Alliance Defending Freedom
RESPONDING TO THE TRANSGENDER ISSUE: PARENT RESOURCE GUIDE
a collaboration of Family Policy Alliance, The Heritage Foundation, WOLF Women's Liberation Front, The Kelsey Coalition, Parents of ROGD Kids, with contributions from The American College of Pediatricians
PARENT REPORTS OF ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS PERCEIVED TO SHOW SIGNS OF A RAPID ONSET OF GENDER DYSPHORIA
by Lisa Littman
LONG TERM FOLLOW-UP OF TRANSSEXUAL PERSONS UNDERGOING SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY: COHORT STUDY IN SWEDEN
by Cecilia Dhejne, Paul Lichtenstein, Marcus Boman, Anna L. V. Johansson, Niklas Långström, Mikael Landén
CSE CURRICULA EVALUATION links to overviews of current CSE models used in the US and internationally
ANALYSIS OF RIGHTS, RESPECT RESPONSIBILITY: A K-12 CURRICULUM (in Michigan the "3-R's" is recommended by MDE and ISD's)
RESEARCH & STUDIES ON THE EFFECTIVENESS of CSE
Sexual Risk Avoidance vs. Comprehensive Sex Education
Gender Dysphoria
Letter to United State Attorney General on Gender Dysphoria
FAITH AND PUBLIC POLICY provides a number of educational resources for parents and citizens to use on the local and state level, including for School Boards. Based in California, they also provide information on Comprehensive Sex Education.
PRACTICAL TOOLS
OFFICIAL STATE LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION (all states)
HOW DOES A BILL BECOME A LAW? (MI)
VOTER GUIDE CREATION FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS (including School Boards)
OUR WATCH NOW WITH TIM THOMPSON (CA)
ASCEND: an excellent alternative to Comprehensive Sex Education. ASCEND provides effective Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) Sex Ed curriculum, which is supported by current HHS data & policy.
SRA DATA AND RESOURCES
STATE LAWS ON SEX EDUCATION
WILLING TO WAIT: a SRA program provider (serving West Michigan).
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"We believe the best and most effective policies are those that 1) protect children by strongly prohibiting bullying of any kind against any child for any reason, 2) respect local control, allowing school officials and parents to develop solutions that best meet their particular school’s needs and 3) do not unnecessarily politicize or sexualize the issue in a way that undermines parental rights and students’ religious freedoms."
true tolerance
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Dear xxxxx,
You have asked for our perspective on sex ed in xxxxx and on the teaching of LGBTQ issues to students in our school.
Michigan school code explicitly states...
Section 380.10: “It is the natural, fundamental right of parents and legal guardians to determine and direct the care, teaching, and education of their children. The public schools of this state serve the needs of the pupils by cooperating with the pupil’s parents and legal guardians to develop the pupil’s intellectual capabilities and vocational skills in a safe and positive manner.”
“Natural" rights are those rights given to us by our Creator, rights that cannot be taken away by man, government or a school system. As parents, we take our role in our children’s education seriously, and recognize public schools are not given a role above that of a child’s parents.
Michigan’s School Code regarding sex education states the board of a school district “may” (380.1507 (1)) provide sex education, but this is not a mandate. Our schools do not have to provide sex education, and when parents allow the schools to educate our children on such an important subject, we require it be done with utmost integrity and transparency, for the best interest of our children, and in accordance with the law.
Willing to Wait, an abstinence-based program provided free of charge by knowledgeable and skilled professionals, has been taught in xxxxx Public Schools for the past 8 years. This program, taught by Willing to Wait instructors, was approved by prior SEAB boards, with 2 public hearings and a vote by the School Board, according to the requirements of Michigan law. This required process, outlined by Michigan school code, allowed the voices of parents to be heard “before adopting any revisions in the materials or methods used in instruction”. 380.1507 (6)
Both Middle School and High School principals reported a 100% approval rate for Willing to Wait, with no known complaints for the last 8 years. There are tested success measures of the program. xxxxx students have loved this program, as they are more comfortable discussing intimate issues with a specialized outside instructor they don’t see on a daily basis following the curriculum.
We believe teaching our children issues of sexuality is our responsibility and our privilege, a responsibility and right which does not belong to Michigan schools. Teaching sexuality issues without parental knowledge and/or consent, violates Michigan law.
It is every parent’s natural right to teach their OWN children what they believe in regards to sexuality, to “direct the care, teaching, and education of their children”, as outlined by Michigan law. We are now advocating for xxxxx Public Schools to offer two models of sex education, as there is a great divide in our community between what parents desire to be taught to their children. Alternatively, sex education could be taught outside of school altogether. However, it is not the right of a minority of our community to impose their desire for comprehensive sexuality education inclusive of LGBTQ subjects to be taught to OTHER people’s children.
We value every child, and sexuality education is not a subject that needs to cause division in our community. Disagreement on how we choose to raise our OWN children simply does not equal hate or homophobia. Parents do not need to relinquish their rights to direct the care and upbringing of their children to prove they are a loving individual. Mutual respect and room to allow others to raise their children according to their OWN beliefs on sexuality, is supportive of ALL parents, and is supported by Michigan law.
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Website resources for students are often included within CSE curriculum, and may provide benign looking classroom materials on subjects such as healthy relationships for use within Sex Ed instruction. However, all websites should be vetted as they may contain explicit materials and content with anti-parent/anti-sexual ethics messages, contain links to other websites of concern, and/or connect students to medical providers and recommendations of Planned Parenthood for care outside of parental knowledge and consent. Websites recommended to students have included Scarleteen, Stayteen (now Power to Decide), love is respect, and more.
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RONALD REAGAN
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free. "
“We have lost the beauty of co-existing peacefully with others of diverse beliefs and opinions. Most of us have LGBTQ friends and family members we respect and love dearly. Our culture has begun to believe that when we disagree with one another, we hate each other, and in order to love someone, we must agree with them completely. This is simply not true.
There is a growing demand for adherence to a set of beliefs, requiring compelled thoughts, speech, actions to demonstrate support, and now even compelled parenting of our children through school. The public intimidation of those who do not hold these beliefs is growing, as we have experienced on a national level here in xxxxx this week.
We continue to stand against the over sexualization of our children through curriculum aligned with Planned Parenthood, and we continue to choose to love those who disagree with us. Our community does not have to fall prey to the winds of culture. We can respectfully disagree, and allow each other the dignity and freedom to raise our own children according to our own beliefs.
Under Michigan law, the care and upbringing of our children is the responsibility of parents, not schools. The parental right and religious and conscious freedom of ALL parents to provide for the care and upbringing of their own children is protected by Michigan law, and the Constitution of the United States.
We can coexist beautifully, and even work together, when we don’t agree. We all love our kids. Parents standing for parental rights and student innocence, urging caution about over sexualized curriculum aligned with Planned Parenthood, do so desiring positive health outcomes for ALL children. Our caution and desire to continue with Sexual Risk Avoidance curriculum through Willing to Wait, is supported by United States HHS data and policy.
Mutual respect and room to allow each other to raise our children according to our own beliefs on sexuality, is supportive of ALL parents, and is supported by Michigan law. Again, we ask xxxxx Public Schools to consider 2 models of Sex Education for our district, or provide none at all, as there is a great divide in our community between what parents desire to be taught to their children. Schools are not at all mandated to provide Sex Ed in Michigan. We value every child, and sex education does not need to continue to cause division in our community.”
parent comment from a 2019 School Board meeting
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