activistpost--2019-04-23--Police State Madness Cops In DUI Vans Drawing Motorists Blood

Police State Madness: Cops In DUI Vans Drawing Motorists’ Blood

Halloween is less than six months away but that has not stopped law enforcement from taking people’s blood. In fact, police officers want our blood so bad that they are purchasing blood draw vans … sorry, I meant DUI vans like the one pictured above.  Last year, I wrote an article about police officers forcing hospitals to draw a drunk or drugged suspect’s blood. But what I could never have imagined is that within a year, police officers would be physically drawing motorists’ blood.  Save Independent Media for as Little as $1 Per Month  A recent article in Pew Charitable Trusts revealed that police DUI vans in Arizona and California are drawing people’s blood.  What makes this story so disturbing is that typically a person must be a certified phlebotomist or healthcare professional who is trained to draw blood from a patient in a safe and sanitary manner. But as you can imagine that is not what is happening.  I will eat my hat if law enforcement claims their vans and police departments are sanitary. Alleging that police officers should be treated like healthcare professionals and be allowed to physically draw blood from a person is obscene.  As the article reveals, the real reason why police officers want our blood is to “save money because they don’t need to pay phlebotomists and hospitals for blood draws.”  I cannot possibly discuss all the different things that could go wrong with police officers drawing blood, so I will only focus on two.  When a police officer calls a DUI blood van to forcibly draw a person’s blood based on a hunch that they might be on drugs or drunk, we no longer have a Bill of Rights to protect us.  As attorney John Whitehead said, forced blood draws make a mockery of the Fourth Amendment. The act of merely driving on state-owned roads should not mean that we give up our rights.  In Massachusetts, judges are starting to question so-called Drug Recognition Expert police officers who claim to have special senses that can detect if a person is impaired.  What sort of country refers to forcibly taking Americans blood as a “game-changer?”  The International Association of Police Chiefs, which is the mouthpiece of law enforcement, cannot wait for vampire cops to draw motorists’ blood.  When law enforcement has judges on-call to issue e-warrants within minutes, it is like having a fellow cop on-call authorizing the shredding of our rights.  Attorney Ramsell is correct; having judge’s on-call to OK e-warrants without second guessing a police officer’s hunch will have major civil rights implications. If the public meekly accepts this invasive and horrific practice of allowing police to conduct forced blood draws, then forced DNA swabs cannot be far behind. As a teenager, I watched hundreds of horror movies but I never once had nightmares that police would FORCIBLY take blood from Americans! But times have changed and it won’t be long before Hollywood makes a law enforcement reality blood draw TV show. Here are a few names for their new show. Instead of calling it Hawaii Five-O why not call it Hawaii Type O or call the The First 48, The First Blood Draws. Last but not least, why not rename Blue Bloods the Blood Suckers? As I said before, allowing police officers to conduct their own blood draws is a monumentally bad idea that will have major civil rights implications for everyone. You can read more at the MassPrivateI blog, where this article first appeared. Provide, protect and profit from what is coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


birminghammail--2019-05-31--Our children are at breaking point - hundreds of parents rally over shameful SEND funding crisis

'Our children are at breaking point' - hundreds of parents rally over 'shameful' SEND funding crisis

Hundreds of parents from across the West Midlands descended on Victoria Square today to protest funding cuts that are pushing their children to “breaking point”.  The SEND National Crisis rally was one of a number of national events aimed at pressuring the government to do more to fund special education specifically, and school budgets generally.  The rally brought together parents from all walks of life - but they all share a similar experience.  Every single parent speaking to BirminghamLive described getting educational provisions and support for their children as a battle.  They voiced the heartbreaking struggles they face daily.  One parent said she was attending the event as she claims the education system she has witnessed is “completely and utterly broken”.  Sylvia Stanway has two Autistic children and the battle to ensure they receive an education has cost her and her husband thousands.  She said: “If we weren’t the kind of parents who are financially able to raise the money for an independent report and advocacy, my daughter would not have an educational health care plan. Our mortgage has gone up thousands.  “There are so many children who are unable to access education. The older they get the worse it is - they end up in mental health facilities or with addictions.  “So I’m marching so policy makers listen and follow the law and provide robust education health care plans.  “The nature of inclusivity is that you need a variety of types of education and facilities. Not one size fits all.”  Rachel Tenacious has also spent thousands in campaigning to get her autistic daughter the right provisions.  The 52-year-old said the battle not only caused a financial strain, but also damaged her own mental health and wellbeing.  “I can’t imagine how much it has cost us,” she said. “It took us 81 weeks instead of the set 18 to get an education health care plan.  “All of that time my daughter was out of provision. We had to finance everything ourselves - including tutors. She had seven hours of tutoring provided by the council a week - but there’s no way she would get enough teaching in that time to do her GCSEs.  “Parents are talking about the fight all the time because they’re forced to fight to get their children the education they need.  “Potentially my daughter could work and earn a living, she could even live independently with some support. But if she never gets an education then how can she do that?  “I keep saying to the council that if they invest in these children now, they won’t have to support them with adult social care and benefits later down the line.  “They can’t be self sufficient unless they’ve had an education.  “The council are fighting the wrong battle. They are fighting against parents instead of fighting so that children can succeed."  Many parents at the event say their experience can be incredibly isolating - which is why rallies and support groups are so important.  Event organiser Kate Taylor said the event wasn’t just about pushing for more funding, but also to bring together parents in their struggles.  “As a parent of a child with special needs it’s very isolating and actually this event isn’t very isolating, it’s enabling and that’s what is so important about it. It brings people together; we can be here and we can be united and hopefully make our point heard.  “We’ve tried to make the event as inclusive as possible, so we’ve made it so that people can come and their children can play and they can be here and listen to the speeches that are happening.  “In 2014 when they introduced the children and families act, they introduced something called an EHC and that was meant to be a really simple and easy process that brought together health and education.  “It’s meant to take 20 weeks, but it can take years. In that time, your children are not getting the support they need. You are also waiting round for services.  “At one point my son needed help from CAMs, but it took a year for that to come through. During that time he was in crisis.  “We got the support in the end, but it could have ended very differently. Nothing is joined up and people don’t communicate properly.  “We have a postcode lottery where you might have a different experience in Birmingham than you do in Worcester or elsewhere. So we’re asking for a joined up approach which all local authorities have to follow.”  The postcode lottery Kate explained is something Elisabeth Roberts from Shropshire has suffered in. There is no school fit for her son’s needs in her area, meaning he’s currently at a residential school in Lancashire.  “It’s a six hour round trip to see him,” she said. “He no longer feels like part of our family, it’s horrendous.  “Children should have the right to get an education at home. There was no school here that would support his needs.”  Some parents have struggled so much they’ve resorted to setting up their own community organisations.  Jane Thomas-Wright runs Aspire Leisure Group in Erdington. The group holds numerous activities for children and young adults with autism.  She said: “I set up the group because when my daughter came back from residential college we couldn’t access services because of cutbacks. I just thought right, we’ve got to do this ourselves.  “We do a wide range of things so parents and children can get support and a safe place to go.  “I’m trying to do that on top of work, supporting my own family and trying to have my own life, but it gives me a lot of joy. Just to see the children and parents enjoying themselves makes it all worth it.  “I just feel sorry for parents with younger children. If this doesn’t stop now we know it’s going to get worse and lead to damage down the line. We’re seeing the fall out of that.”  Parent Jenny Jones said each of her children had suffered from not being able to attend school.  She said: “One of my sons was out of school for five months as there was no where for him to go. For my others it has been about getting support in schools for them. At every single stage there is a battle or a court tribunal.  “Some of the basic things we’ve had to fight for is speech and language therapy, just a school place for my son.  “My daughter has brittle bone disease, but it took three tribunals for her to get supervision at school.  “No parent at all should have to go through what we’ve been through.”  Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Our ambition is for every child, no matter the challenges they face, to have access to a world class education that sets them up for life.  "Funding for the high needs budget is a priority for this government and we know that councils and schools are facing pressures – that’s why in December, we provided an extra £250 million up to 2020 to help manage these costs.  "This takes the total amount that we have allocated for high needs funding to £6.3 billion this year, compared to £5 billion in 2013.  “At the same time, the Education Secretary has been clear that we are working closely with the sector as we approach the spending review, we have launched a call for evidence to make sure the funding system is getting money to the right places at the right time and we are revising the SEND Code of Practice to improve ways to identify and meet special educational needs.”


birminghammail--2019-07-04--Parents blast Parkfield School for shambles consultation into No Outsiders lessons

Parents blast Parkfield School for 'shambles' consultation into No Outsiders lessons

Consultation over No Outsiders equality lessons at Parkfield School was 'a shambles', disappointed parent representatives said today.  The school, in the heart of Alum Rock, has announced it intends to reinstate the equality lessons when school resumes in September.  The programme has been amended to be more sensitive to religious concerns and will be renamed as 'No Outsiders in a Faith Community.'  But the announcement has infuriated Parkfield Parents Group, which has been in consultation with the school for more than four months.  "We are hoping we can still put a stop to this for the sake of community harmony," said Javed Iqbal, a grandfather of two pupils and representative of Alum Rock Community Forum.  "These talks should have been an example to the rest of the country that consultation is better than protest - that peaceful discussion can lead to compromise.  "We do not want anyone to start protesting again at the school gates. I don't believe in having megaphones and protests outside a primary school.  "We managed to calm things down and get everyone around the table, but now parents feel they have been sold out," he said.  The school faced weeks of protests at the gates earlier this year.  Anger erupted when mum Fatimah Shah petitioned to stop No Outsiders - a programme evolved around the Equality Act that includes storybooks about LGBT and same-sex marriages - back in January.  The programme was the brainchild of the school's assistant head Andrew Moffatt and is being used in schools across the country.  Campaign trucks, heated speeches, posters and hundreds of picketing protesters rallied to bring the programme to a halt.  The situation calmed when the school suspended the programme to begin talks with parents and community representatives.  Parents and campaigners were persuaded to back off in the belief that through consultation there would be give and take, leading to a greater acceptance on both sides, said Mr Iqbal.  "We don't feel that has been done here - the school have conceded very little. Parents feel let down," he said.  "They expected we could negotiate some compromise. We did not expect to get everything to their liking, but for there to be give and take.  "This could all have been settled and a model for the rest of the country if the school had been willing to compromise over its use of No Outsiders but it was not."  The key issue for some parents is the continued use of the No Outsiders programme, in preference to other equality programmes used by schools elsewhere.  They say No Outsiders has a too heavy emphasis on LGBT equality and links to the controversial Prevent agenda.  "There are many other equality programmes used in schools but the school was adamant they would stick with this programme," added Mr Iqbal.  "The parents believe in equality, no ifs and buts about that, but this programme in particular has been a huge issue for parents."  Mr Iqbal, whose grown up children all attended the school, added: "The community feel demonised for being Muslim and for their faith."  The parent group is now continuing to press the school to think again to try to avoid stirring up renewed conflict in the community.  A final meeting of the consultation group is due to take place today (July 4), while representations are continuing to be made direct to Education Secretary Damian Hinds and Regional Schools Commissioner Andrew Warren.  The talks had been 'peaceful and professionally conducted' and parents had maintained their media silence throughout, as promised, added Mr Iqbal.  "We were very clear that protest was not the answer, and we pressed parents and the school to consult. We got people around the table and listening to each other.  "I do not agree with protest at the school gates and using megaphones - all I want is for people to live peacefully."  In a tweet he described the outcome of the consultation as "Consultation failure of the highest order. A shambles."  A fellow representative, Wajid Hussain, went further: "No #mediation No#consultation Yes#dictatorship"  The programme was developed by Mr Moffatt, who was awarded an MBE for his work in equality education. It is taught by schools across the country, the ethos being to promote LGBT equality and challenge homophobia in primary schools.  The school was told the No Outsiders books and lessons were age appropriate during a spot check by Ofsted earlier this year. It praised Parkfield’s record on promoting “tolerance, acceptance and mutual respect”, and confirmed its rating of “outstanding”.  Fatima Shah, who first raised the issue and pulled her daughter out of the school, saying children were too young to be learning about same-sex marriages and LGBT issues in class, also said the concerned parents had not been listened to.  "'The school has said it will do exactly the same as it was doing before but with a slightly different name. How is that taking our views into account?” she said.  In a statement, the school said: "As a result of the consultation 'No Outsiders for a Faith Community' has been especially designed for Parkfield Community School acknowledging and respecting the concerns and sensitivity expressed by some parents in the present school community."  The resources and programme will also be structured for each year group.  "Our school ethos of equality and everyone being welcome remains a key aspect of our school," the school statement added.  The programme's creator Mr Moffatt has said its aim was to introduce children to diversity in society and make them accept difference within the world today so that 'everybody is welcome'.  Last week we learned the school's headteacher, David Williams, was leaving to become a senior headteacher at another school managed by the trust which runs Parkfield.  The recent demonstrations spread to Anderton Park School in Sparkhill, which does not use the No Outsiders programme.  The school recently won a high court injunction banning protests in the streets around the school. A full trial to consider the injunction is to take place between July 22 and 31.


birminghammail--2019-06-26--Parents battle to educate disabled son suffering from school phobia

Parents battle to educate disabled son suffering from 'school phobia'

A Dudley mum has spoken out about her struggle to educate her disabled son who has an amputated leg and a phobia of school.  Daniel Webster from Halesowen has missed two years of school due to his special educational needs, which include school refusal - a psychological condition in which children develop an inherent fear, also known as school phobia.  The 11-year-old, who is due to start secondary school in September, also suffers from autism and selective mutism, and had his leg amputated last year.  The family were then offered a place Earls High School in Dudley who had previously told mother Trina they were not equipped to cater his needs.  However, she says mainstream schools would be "too noisy and too much pressure", reports the BBC .  The family will now attend a tribunal in July at Dudley Council to try to find Daniel a suitable place at a special school.  At the age of six, doctors found a tumour in Daniel's hip and thigh.  He was deemed "medically unfit" and signed off from primary school in 2017 after being prescribed a course of morphine and drugs for the pain.  A year later, the youngster was admitted into hospital to have his leg amputated.  When it was time to return to school at Cherry Tree Learning Centre, Daniel's school refusal symptoms began to emerge.  He also suffers with selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that affects the ability to speak and communicate.  Now Daniel is ready for secondary school, Mrs Webster has told the BBC she's received letters from mainstream and special schools saying they could not cater for his needs.  After securing the Earls High offer, she said mainstream schools would not be right for Daniel.  She said: "One said he would be isolated because there was no peer group for him. Another said his needs were too complex."  Dudley Council said it was committed to giving children "the means to reach their full potential."  Councillor Ruth Buttery, cabinet member for children and young people, said: "Working in conjunction with health and education providers, we are determined to provide the best possible outcomes for pupils with Send or additional health needs and we have recently appointed two specialist education officers to support and advice parents and carers."


birminghammail--2019-09-20--Student found hanged in university halls failed by mental health services heartbroken parents say

Student found hanged in university halls 'failed' by mental health services, heartbroken parents say

The parents of a student found hanged at her halls of residence have said she was "failed" by mental health services.  University of Liverpool student Ceara Thacker, 19, was found dead in her room in the Brownlow Hill accommodation on May 11 last year.  The five-day inquest at the Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool heard her family was not informed she had taken an overdose three months before her death, or that she was struggling with her mental health.  Speaking outside the court on Friday, her father, Iain Thacker, 56, said: "For as long as I live I will never understand why no-one at the university picked up the phone to us in February 2018, and told us that our 19-year-old daughter was in hospital after taking an overdose.  "If we had known how Ceara was suffering we could have, and would have, made a difference."  He said his daughter, from Bradford, had found herself "falling through the cracks" with different mental health services, who failed to communicate with each other.  He added: "In my view it is absolutely essential that all universities have in place proper systems for identifying students at risk and communicating effectively with healthcare services and, where appropriate, with families, to ensure they are kept safe."  Her mother Lorraine Dalton-Thacker, 51, said: "At every turn, she was failed.  "I can't imagine how frightening that must have been for her. She should not have had to face this and it breaks our hearts that she did.  "We don't want any other family to go through this pain."  Recording a conclusion of suicide, area coroner Anita Bhardwaj said she would make a report for the prevention of future deaths to the NHS, recommending that the issue of parental involvement, with consent, was included in mental health assessments.  She said: "It's difficult and unclear whether Ceara would have had a different outcome had she had additional mental health appointments, been given an urgent appointment, and had family involvement."  Ms Bhardwaj said there was no record of discussions between medical professionals and Miss Thacker about contacting her family.  She said: "It would have been helpful to have those discussion, so if Ceara wanted additional support from her family that could have been facilitated.  The coroner described a delay of two months between Miss Thacker referring herself to the university's mental health advisers in February, and being given an appointment in April, as "unacceptable".  The court heard the delay was caused by "exceptional circumstances", including strike action, staff sickness and training days.  Mr Thacker said it was "disappointing" that the University of Liverpool had chosen not to adopt an "opt-in process", which is now used at Bristol University, where students fill in a form when registering to ask whether they would want their parents to be contacted in the event of mental health problems.  Gavin Brown, pro-vice-chancellor for education at the University of Liverpool, said: "We have conducted a thorough review of the support Ceara was offered and, as a result of this and our ongoing review of how these services work, we have instigated a number of improvements to mental health support services.  "This includes an additional £0.5 million investment in staffing and the introduction of rapid access appointments with an adviser.  "Following Ceara's death, we have also updated guidance to ensure that students who are experiencing substantial distress as a result of mental health difficulties are asked whether they would like to inform family members.  "We know that students' family circumstances can differ, and where students choose not to inform family we will explore reasons for this, and work with individuals to identify alternative support networks."


birminghammail--2019-10-18--Anderton Park School parents feared LGBT teaching would 'subdue religious beliefs'

Concerned Muslim parents and their children felt they were being "made to accept LGBT teaching" and "subdue their own beliefs" to show they were not extremist, a High Court hearing into the Anderton Park school protests heard.  Protests at the gates of the Sparkhill school came about because the rights of parents were being infringed, a judge was told.  Barrister Mr Ramby de Mello said: "Parents feel they are told: 'You have got to accept our teaching and keep your own beliefs under the bushell in a closet at home'...this conflict amounts to discriminatory treatment."  “They hear: ‘We would like you to learn about equality at the expense of subduing your own religious belief because (doing so) demonstrates tolerance, inclusivity and stepping away from extremism.”  He said this also indirectly discriminates against the 644 Muslim, mostly Pakistani heritage, pupils who attend the school.  Citing from the witness statement of an imam, Mr de Mello said the parents feel they have a “moral obligation” to stand up against any teaching that impinges on the “heterosexual norm”.  His comments came on the fifth and final day of an injunction hearing triggered by protests over LGBT teaching at the school.  Judge Mr Justice Warby, who has to decide whether an exclusion zone should remain around the school to stop further protests, has now reserved judgement and will announce the outcome in writing "as soon as possible".  He will weigh up five days of evidence and hundreds of pages of witness statements, videos and social media messages before announcing his ruling.  In the meantime the existing temporary exclusion zone will stay in place.  The case, brought by Birmingham City Council, is seeking an injunction that would permanently ban protests at the gates and in the streets surrounding the school. The council is also seeking to extend the zone to include two grassy areas on Yardley Wood Road, where protesters have continued to gather.  The current temporary injunction prohibits three named defendants – Mr Afsar, his sister Rosina Afsar and Amir Ahmed - along with “persons unknown” from protesting or encouraging others to protest inside the exclusion zone.  It also prohibits use of social media accounts to make abusive comments about any member of staff at the school in relation to teaching.  The injunction application is being contested by Afsar, Afsar and Ahmed along with a fourth defendant, John Allman, from Okehampton in Devon, who sought to join the case to represent "persons unknown", claiming the injunction was too wide ranging and prohibited free speech online.  Mr Ramby de Mello, representing the Afsars and Ahmed, said the protests came about because the rights of parents were being infringed. There was discrimination against families because of their religious and cultural beliefs, he told the judge.  “This group are made to feel, because of their religious and cultural beliefs, in some way inferior to others – in this case over the teaching of LGBT,” he said.  He said much had been made of the behaviour of a couple of outsiders who had joined protests, including an imam whose comments were condemned and disowned by Mr Afsar and Mr Ahmed.  Earlier barrister Paul Diamond, representing Mr Allman, 66, a Christian campaigner, claimed a “politicised” Birmingham City Council was driving the injunction and claiming harassment and abuse against teachers at Anderton Park School, even though no criminal offences had been committed.  There was often a difference in understanding and values that meant people “talked past each other” because of their beliefs. Someone telling another they risk “going to hell” is seen by some not as offensive but instead as “informing this person of their spiritual destiny and wanting to help them,” said Mr Diamond.  He added that teachers had no "special privilege" not to face online comments as long as it does not reach a level of criminality.  After the hearing concluded, teaching union chief Rob Kelsall, of the NAHT, said head teachers across the country were now "anxiously waiting" on the ruling outcome and watching events unfold in Birmingham "with fear".  He said: "Whatever the outcome this is not the end. We have been supporting around 70 more schools across the country over pressure they have received over equality teaching. In our view it's completely unacceptable for public servants doing their job to be subject to this kind of torment."  Describing Anderton Park head teacher Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson as "one of the strongest, most courageous people I've ever met", he said the pressure of the case has had "a very negative and wearing effect on her and her staff. That for me is extremely concerning."  He reiterated calls on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to "stop passing the buck to heads", and to be unequivocal that teachers should include all aspects of equality in relationships education, including LGBT. "We need to avoid this happening to any other school."  Shakeel Afsar, representing the protesters, said after the hearing: "We parents should not have been here. We hope the judge will see that parents were within their rights and were forced to protest.  "Whatever the outcome we would urge the school to start a fresh dialogue with parents...for the betterment of the community."  Mr Justice Warby said he would deliver his judgement in writing "as soon as possible" and would begin work on it on Monday. "I can't at the moment given any reliable commitments as to when judgement will be but I assure I will reach a verdict as quickly as I can."


birminghammail--2019-11-26--Quarter of Brit parents 'would not feel proud to have LGBT child' - YouGov poll

A quarter of adults in the UK would not feel proud to have an LGBT child, research has suggested.  A YouGov poll commissioned by LGBT youth homelessness charity akt, formerly known as the Albert Kennedy Trust, asked how people would respond in a variety of scenarios if they had a child that came out to them.  Faced with the statement "I would feel proud to have an LGBT child", 26% of those polled disagreed.  Less than half (46%) of more than 2,100 people surveyed agreed they would feel proud to have a child who had come out.  The survey also found that more than one in 10 (11%) would be uncomfortable living at home with their lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender child.  Previous akt research found that 24% of homeless people aged 16 to 25 identified as LGBT plus, with more than three-quarters (77%) citing abuse and rejection from their family as the main factor in their homelessness.  A quarter of people (25%) surveyed by YouGov said relationships and sex education should not include LGBT issues, with 59% in support of including topics such as gender identity and sexuality at an age-appropriate level.  The poll also found that nearly three in 10 people (28%) would not be willing to change the pronouns used for their child, such as he, she and they, if the child came out as transgender.  However, 46% of people said they would be willing to change the pronouns - 52% of women and 39% of men.  Non-parents were more also more willing to make the change, compared with existing parents or guardians.  One in five gay or lesbian participants (20%) also said they would not change pronouns used for their child.  In contrast, 72% of gay or lesbian people surveyed said they were willing to change pronouns, along with 79% of bisexual people.  More than half of respondents aged between 25 and 34 (55%) would change the pronouns, compared with 41% of those aged 55 and over.  Tim Sigsworth, chief executive of akt, said: "These figures barely capture the heartbreaking realities we hear every day from the young people that akt is here to support.  "People often talk about the 'unconditional love' that parents have for their children, however we know first-hand that in many cases, the act of coming out can result in parental rejection and abuse for many young people.  "akt is here to support LGBTQ+ young people into safe homes and better futures, and work toward a world where no young person has to choose between having a roof over their head and being who they are."  :: YouGov carried out the survey of 2,109 people online in October.


breitbart--2019-09-07--Minnesota Parents Rally to Protect Kids Against State-Mandated Planned Parenthood Sex Ed

Minnesota Parents Rally to ‘Protect Kids’ Against State-Mandated Planned Parenthood Sex Ed

Child Protection League (CPL) Action will hold its “Protect Kids Rally” on Sunday, September 22 on the steps of the state capitol in St. Paul.  CPL Action states that, in April, a majority of Minnesota House lawmakers voted to mandate that every Pre-K-12 traditional public and charter school teach comprehensive sex ed.  “Democrats said the legislation focused on teaching ‘harassment’ and ‘consent,’” CPL Action continues. “But the curriculum includes pornographic images and unscientific ideas about gender, and it trivializes or even encourages high-risk and abusive sexual behavior.”  The group points to a book titled It’s Perfectly Normal, recommended by Planned Parenthood and intended for fourth graders, which describes “sexual intercourse” as “having sex” that “can involve the penis and the vagina, or the mouth and the genitals, or the penis and the anus.”  “[T]he book seems to encourage anal sex, and conflates this act with other types of sexual activity that carry a far-lower risk of injury and sexually transmitted infection,” CPL states.  In a video posted to Facebook in April, Rep. Eric Lucero (R) described the book to fellow state House lawmakers.  “I shared disgusting content from the book It’s Perfectly Normal and the Democrat agenda to sexualize the minds of our young children including Planned Parenthood’s goal of curriculum for elementary schools,” Lucero wrote.  According to CPL, when state Rep. Jim Davnie (D) insisted “Planned Parenthood is not in this bill,” state Rep. Peggy Scott (R) gave the response in this video clip:  I think it’s essential that members of the public, that parents and taxpayers, know that the sex education curriculum in this bill was written in part at least by Planned Parenthood. You can go to their website. They’re promoting this … and you can see some language that they think is important to have in sex ed curriculum and it’s verbatim what’s in this bill. So, members of the public need to understand that Planned Parenthood – a very controversial organization – is putting forth its agenda into our public schools. In fact, Planned Parenthood – they boast on their website about how they are already reaching “50,000 Minnesotans across the lifespan—including young people in elementary, middle, and high school, as well as parents and adults.”  Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota states on its website that the group is highly involved in sex ed in Minnesota, citing “trained educators throughout Minnesota provide sex education to youth and adults in their communities.”  “Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of comprehensive sex education in Minnesota,” Planned Parenthood says and adds:  U.S. Parents Involved in Education (USPIE), a national organization devoted to the return of local control of education, says in a says in a statement that CSE “is a blatant intrusion into a traditional family domain and a dangerous assault on the health and innocence of children.”  “We urgently encourage parents to retake control of their children’s sex education,” the group asserts, adding the type of CSE programs that are mandated by some states are “rights-based” approaches that are politically influenced.  They entail “a great deal more than just teaching children and youth about anatomy and physiology, sexual intercourse, and human reproduction,” USPIE warns.


breitbart--2019-09-19--Louisiana Parents Outraged over State Health Survey Asking Sexually Explicit Questions

Louisiana Parents Outraged over State ‘Health’ Survey Asking Sexually Explicit Questions

One parent, Christin Willis, provided KPLC TV with a list of several questions from the survey:  “Children are naïve,” Willis said. “They go to school and know they have to listen. They’re going to do what you tell them what to do. If you put them in a room and tell them to take a survey, they’re going to take the survey.”  Willis, a divorced mother who shares custody with her ex-husband, said she was not asked to have her son pulled out of class and taken to the school-based health center to take the survey. Her ex-husband, however, gave his consent for their son to have a physical at the center in order to play football.  “Yes, joint custody, both parents have to be listed. Call both parents,” Willis read from the documents. “I was notified nothing of this. I have spoken with my ex-husband and his wife. They thought that he was getting a sports physical. They were not told he was going to be surveyed or be pulled in for any other reason.”  Willis said when she asked about the survey questions at the school-based health center, she was told children must take the survey in order for the center to receive grant money.  “I don’t like my child being used for you to get money for a system that I don’t support,” Willis said. “We have a health care facility, we have a doctor. If I want to discuss sexually explicit things with my children, I’ll do so in my home or at my doctor’s office — his doctor’s office.”  School-Based Health Centers were created in the Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) legislation with the support of the nation’s largest teachers’ unions. The law included funds to build and run clinics to give students free diagnoses, treatment for chronic medical conditions and mental health screenings.  Over $200 million in grant funds were appropriated in Obamacare for school-based health centers. The Healthy Schools Campaign and Trust for America’s Health  provided Kathleen Sebelius, Obama-era secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, with recommendations for the development of these centers.  “[W]ellness is not relegated to an occasional health lesson or physical education class–it is part of math, science, lunch and everything in between,” said the Healthy Schools Campaign in 2012. “It means providing teachers with professional development related to children’s physical and emotional development, and integrating health into every subject, reward system and classroom management strategy.”  One of the recommendations that became a special cause for concern was that schools should “track health and wellness data, which would be used to make ‘data-driven decisions’ about how health and wellness impact student learning.”  Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health, also said in 2012 the recommendations “represented a major culture shift in how the nation views health – health will no longer be separated from education, transportation, housing and other clearly connected policies.”  In a statement to KPLC News, the Allen Parish School Board said, “School-Based Health Centers provide comprehensive medical and behavioral health services on or adjacent to schools.”  The screening tool was designed by Dr. Jennifer Salerno and is utilized by school health centers nationwide. It was offered as a reliable screening method by the state Office of Public Health for use in selected Louisiana school health centers. The screening questionnaire is conducted as part of a child well visit. The mother did not agree with the wording in 2 or 3 of the 21-question screening survey. The Allen Parish School board agrees with the mother and is working to change/remove these particular questions. [T]he Oakdale School-Based Health Center is one of over 60 sites in the state of Louisiana who receive grant funding in part from the Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Adolescent School Based Health Center. This funding is used for the salaries and the operation of the School-Based Health Center. In return for the funding, these school-based health centers have certain medical and behavioral health services that must be provided at each site.  U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, the leading Republican gubernatorial candidate in Louisiana, condemned the state health department survey that asks middle-school children sexually explicit questions.  “I’m disgusted with what State government is doing to our children,” said Abraham, a family physician, in a press statement. “This is a topic that should be addressed privately by parents and their children or doctors and their patients.”  “This is another example of how John Bel’s Department of Health is imposing its radical agenda on our state,” Abraham continued. “When I’m governor, I will fire Secretary [Rebekah] Gee on day one and reform this department from top down.”  Breitbart News reached out for comment to Democrat Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ re-election campaign as well but did not receive an immediate response.


breitbart--2019-11-27--‘Sex Ed Showdown’: Parents Defeat Planned Parenthood in Blue Massachusetts

Parents and church leaders in Worcester, Massachusetts, joined with Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) to defeat a Planned Parenthood-implemented sex-ed curriculum in public schools.  In a column at the Daily Signal, Michael King, MFI director of community alliances, referred to the joint efforts of his organization, parents, and church leaders as a “sex ed showdown” with Planned Parenthood and its supporters.  He told Breitbart News in a phone interview that the Worcester school board committee ultimately voted down the curriculum because of the outreach of both parents and church leaders who outnumbered supporters of Planned Parenthood.  King explained MFI has reached out to about 125 different churches across the state throughout the past three years.  He testified before the school board committee after reviewing the “Making Proud Choices” sex-ed curriculum materials, asserting that “abstinence” has been “redefined” in one of the program’s workshops to include:  “The only reason I read that is because that is how we are defining abstinence today,” King continued in his testimony. “And I think a lot of people in this room would have a different definition of abstinence.”  Making a reference to the common criticism by Planned Parenthood and its allies that studies show abstinence education does not work with teens, King said, “If studies show that abstinence doesn’t work, maybe it’s because they’ve redefined it and they’re not really looking at the real definition.”  “So, I want you to think about that, and think about what are we teaching our kids, that we are over-sexualizing our kids, and is this really age-appropriate?” he asserted.  Planned Parenthood says about the curriculum:  King told Breitbart News the decision by the school board committee to shelve Making Proud Choices was “a huge victory.”  “We had about 75 people, many from the Hispanic community,” he said, who joined with his organization.  Mary Ellen Siegler, MFI consultant on comprehensive sex education, told Breitbart News the fact that many parents are not aware of what is being taught in their children’s schools is “alarming.”  She said parents have shown her emails of responses by school officials to requests for details about the proposed sex-ed program, but those responses are often cursory or evasive.  “They’re being sent back this information that, honestly, if you are not educated on the issues or haven’t done the deep research, it looks like what they’re being presented is totally fine,” Siegler explained.  King said MFI is working in other towns and cities across the Bay State “to encourage parents to go to their school principal, or whoever teaches sex ed, and request exactly what is being taught to their children, especially in middle school and high school.”


channel4uk--2019-06-26--SEN children physically restrained at school say parents

SEN children physically restrained at school, say parents

Parents of young children with special educational needs say they are frequently being physically restrained in school. And critics of the practice argue that restraint is being used as a way to control children’s behaviour, instead of teachers supporting their needs.  The Department for Education has promised to publish long-awaited guidelines for schools soon. It’s seen as a much-needed step to protect some of the most vulnerable children.


cnsnews--2019-01-29--How Parents Can End Socialism in Americas Schools School Choice

How Parents Can End Socialism in America’s Schools: School Choice

January 20 marked the beginning of National School Choice Week. This year, more than 40,000 events were held to highlight the benefits of school choice—an important effort considering the abysmal track record of the nation’s public schools and the fact that government schools have a near-monopoly on education. In 2018, nearly 90 percent of American K–12 students attended a public school.  Although National School Choice Week is traditionally a time to celebrate freedom, it also provides an important opportunity to reflect on the disturbing fact that the U.S. government-run school system abhors individual choice and now serves as one of the world’s largest socialist propaganda organizations.  The government’s education monopoly emboldens an army of left-leaning administrators and teachers to indoctrinate students with their political ideology, which is much closer to Karl Marx than James Madison. It’s no wonder then that 51 percent of Americans aged 18 to 29 and 57 percent of self-identified Democrats now have a positive view of socialism, according to a 2018 Gallup poll.  How did this happen? Could it be that the majority of those surveyed flunked U.S. and world history? Did they fall asleep during the history lessons on the horrors of the Soviet Union and Mao’s China? Probably not. It’s much more likely these people, like millions of others, have received an education teeming with socialist propaganda.  One doesn’t have to look far to find evidence socialism has permeated government schools. The National Education Association (NEA), which includes more than three million members (the largest union in the United States), doesn’t even try to hide its socialist philosophy. Among its “Core Values,” NEA lists: “Collective Action. We believe individuals are strengthened when they work together for the common good … we improve both our professional status and the quality of public education when we unite and advocate collectively.”  Additional examples abound of teachers and administrators engaging in socialist activities inside and outside classrooms. For instance, Jesse Sharkey, president of the Chicago Teachers Union, is a member of the International Socialist Organization (ISO). He even moderated two panels at the 2018 Socialism Conference in Chicago. Other participants on the panel have been linked to the ISO and Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the United States.  During the 2018 West Virginia teachers strike, Zac Corrigan, a member of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, called for “living wages,” single-payer health care, a government-run universal jobs guarantee program, and the need for getting students—your children—more involved in teachers’ union activities.  Many parents recognize that something is amiss in the government-run school system, but they feel trapped because they cannot afford to transfer their child to a private school or don’t have the time or money to homeschool. It doesn’t have to be that way, however. Parents can break this broken model by demanding universal education choice, which can best be provided through a universal education savings account (ESA) program.  ESAs allow parents to remove their children from socialist classrooms by providing them with a tax-free account that can be used to pay for education-related expenses at other public schools, private schools, or even for homeschooling. ESAs, which are funded using the money already allotted for public schools, would empower parents to enroll their children in schools that teach our nation’s founding principles of freedom, self-reliance, and limited government.  Giving parents and students education freedom would finally bring robust competition to the education sphere, forcing government-run schools to rethink the wisdom of maintaining their socialist-driven curriculum programs, including those linked to Common Core.  The best way to stop the march toward socialism in the United States is to provide all parents the opportunity to choose the educational path that most aligns with their values. Until parents have the freedom to choose their children’s education, students will be unable to escape these socialist indoctrination centers.  As President Ronald Reagan so eloquently warned us: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it.”  The fate of freedom hangs in the balance. Unless Americans demand education freedom, Reagan’s warning will become reality: “you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”  Lennie Jarratt (ljarratt@heartland.org) is project manager for the Center for Transforming Education at The Heartland Institute. Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is a former public education teacher and editor at The Heartland Institute.


cnsnews--2019-04-09--California Parents Protest Explicit Sex Ed Gender Fluidity Lessons in Elementary Schools

California Parents Protest Explicit Sex Ed, Gender Fluidity Lessons in Elementary Schools

(CNSNews.com) -- An estimated 500 protesters gathered at the steps of the Sacramento Capitol Building on March 28 to protest explicit sex education, including gender fluidity lessons, being taught in the state’s elementary schools.  The protest was organized by the Informed Parents of California (IPCA), which was established following the enactment of the California Healthy Youth Act in January 2016. That legislation was initially called the California Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Act and was designed to provide “comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education” to California kids in grades seven through 12.  “They want to teach our children how to give and receive consent,” said IPCA Founder Stephanie Yates at the Capitol, as reported by the Sacramento Bee. “There’s so many things wrong with this curriculum and framework. Our children are not legally allowed to give and receive consent… It [should be] nobody touches me, not [how to] have negotiation skills for child sex!”  IPCA has organized school walk-outs — called SeXXX ed Sit-outs — in which 40 school districts participated.  IPCA co-Founder Aileen Blachowski said, “Department of Education, hear this loud and clear: The parents of California will not submit their children to indoctrination. … If you will not listen to us. … We will pull our kids from your schools.”  The state-wide curriculum, which is implemented under the Health Education Framework, says its goal is to “teach knowledge and skills related to comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education in grades kindergarten through grade six (K–6), inclusive.”  The conservative California Family Council (CFC) studied the 1,000-plus pages of the Framework. In a summary of what the state is offering to elementary schools – “cut and pasted directly from the California Department of Education Website: https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/he/cf/,” nothing altered -- the CFC noted that the Framework recommends the book, My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis, for kids in kindergarten.  “[S] students can still begin to challenge gender stereotypes in a way that is age appropriate,” reads the Framework’s comments for My Princess Boy.  While students may not fully understand the concepts of gender expression and identity, some children in kindergarten and even younger have identified as transgender or understand they have a gender identity that is different from their sex assigned at birth.”  On one of the book’s pages it reads, “His dad tells my Princess Boy how pretty he looks in a dress. His dad holds his hand and tells him how to twirl! My Princess Boy smiles and hugs his dad.”  Also recommended for kindergarten is The Great Big Book of Families, which promotes the idea that all family structures are valid – “families with lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender parents, guardians, or caretakers and children,” and so on.  For Grade 1, the Framework recommends Who Are You?: The Kids Guide to Gender Identity by Brook Pessin-Whedbee. On one page the book teaches, “These are just a few words people use: trans, genderqueer, non-binary, gender fluid, transgender, gender neutral, agender, neutrois, bigender, third gender, two –spirit …”  Most kids in Grade 1 are six years old. To learn more about the books and lessons recommended in the Framework, click here.  For Fifth graders in the Framework it states, “Fifth-grade students will have an opportunity to learn that gender is not strictly defined by physical anatomy or sex assigned at birth. Rather, students understand that gender refers to attitudes, feelings, characteristics, and behaviors that a given culture associates with being male or female.”  The Framework further says, "Instruction on sexual health content must affirm diverse sexual orientations and include examples of same-sex relationships when discussing relationships. Comprehensive sexual health instruction must also include gender, gender expression, gender identity, and the harmful outcomes that may occur from negative   gender stereotypes (EC section 51933[d][6])."  In a statement provided to Channel 10 ABC, the California Department of Education said, “Our priority is to make all children feel comfortable at school… dispelling myths, breaking down stereotypes, and linking students to resources  ... the [California Healthy Youth Act] and the health framework are critical steps towards this goal.”  State Sen. Mike Morrell (R ), borrowing from Churchill, told the crowd at the Capitol, “Never, never, never, never–in nothing great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. As California goes, so goes the nation. … California is the battle ground for the soul of the United States of America. “  State Sen. Brian Jones (R ) said, “I don’t want the government to dictate to my wife and I how we raise our kids, ” Jones said. Of all the things I am, “I’m the husband of a fired up mama. If you mess with my wife’s kids, you’ve got a battle on your hands."  “The State Board of Education is attacking our liberty with these disgusting, unintellectual proposals," said Jones. "The parent-child relationship is sacred. … Parents and guardians know what is best for their children.”


cnsnews--2019-08-16--Brent Bozell Parental Nightmares in Public Schools

Brent Bozell: Parental Nightmares in Public Schools

Public schools are reopening for business across America, meaning it's time to get back to reading, writing, arithmetic ... and revolution.  As usual in matters such as these, California is leading the way.  On the first day of classes at Denair Middle School near Modesto, science teacher Luis Davila Alvarado handed out a worksheet from a transgender advocacy group titled "The Gender Unicorn" asking students about their "gender identity," "gender expression" and their sexual and emotional attractions.  These are children. And yet the teacher did not ask permission to hand the worksheet out. Most parents were outraged. The school estimated about 50 children received the worksheet. It turns out Alvarado was educating the children about his own life. He declared he rejects the term "Mr." and prefers to be addressed with the newfangled "Mx.," pronounced "Mix." A school official quickly put a stop to it, but the damage was done.  In California, waiting until middle school for this boatload of propaganda is actually inappropriate!  In May, the California State Board of Education established a set of guidelines insisting schools should begin discussing "gender identity" in kindergarten . "While students may not fully understand the concepts of gender expression and identity," the guidelines insist, "some children in kindergarten and even younger have identified as transgender or understand they have a gender identity that is different from their sex assigned at birth." Schools apparently must leap to address the "harm of negative gender stereotypes."  Public schools aren't just undermining parents with the curriculum. When children "decide" they "might" be transgender, parents better not object, or else they will be treated as a threat to their own children's well-being.  On Aug. 12, USA Today published a chilling op-ed from Jay Keck, a parent in the Chicago suburbs, about how his autistic teenage daughter — who showed "no signs" of being unhappy with her gender — suddenly decided in 2016 that she was male and wanted to be addressed with male pronouns.  She first "came out" at school, and Keck says the school immediately addressed her with male pronouns and provided access to a gender-neutral bathroom. When Keck and his wife found out, they insisted the school address their daughter by her legal name — and were ignored. They met with an assistant superintendent, who asserted the school had to, as USA Today wrote, "follow the law" — a nonbinding directive from the Obama administration, which was repealed by Team Trump.  According to Keck, surprise, surprise: The American Civil Liberties Union has sent threatening letters to schools telling them that "students have the constitutional right to share or withhold information about their sexual orientation or gender identity from their parents, teachers, and other parties."  Then the real nightmare kicked in. Put yourself in the position of the Keck family.  "My daughter told me that the school social worker was advising her about halfway houses," he said. "The social worker confirmed this when I scheduled a meeting with him to discuss it. This felt like a horrifying attempt to encourage our daughter to run away from home."  Keck had his daughter evaluated by a psychologist approved by the school district. He said, "He told us it was very clear that our daughter's sudden transgender identity was driven by her underlying mental health conditions, but would only share his thoughts off the record because he feared the potential backlash." When his daughter graduated high school, parental wishes that her birth name would be announced were again ignored.  This growing gender-bending orthodoxy is what Pope Benedict called the "dictatorship of relativism," or, if you prefer, "the tyranny of tolerance." Dissent — even from parents — is being condemned as bigotry, cruelty and hate speech.  This will not stop until the nuclear family is destroyed. Or until parents stand up as one and declare a commitment to destroy this movement.  L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org.


birminghammail--2019-06-21--Protest warning to city primary schools - you could be next if you ignore parents wishes

Protest warning to city primary schools - you could be next if you ignore parents' wishes

Any city primary school head that fails to heed parental concerns on equality teaching could face school gate protests of the like seen at Anderton Park and Parkfield schools, campaigners warned today.  ‘Ignore us at your peril’ was the message issued by Amir Ahmed and Shakeel Afsar, co-organisers of the protests at Anderton Park in Sparkhill.  "We are widening the campaign," said Mr Ahmed, who was also behind the protests that blighted Parkfield School in Saltley earlier this year.  "This is not about a handful of schools, but about the whole city and country. We need these LGBT equality lessons and messages to stop being shared in schools where parents object.  "We have no intention of stopping and protest is the only way for parents to have their voices heard. The council has tried to throw a blanket over protests outside schools but we will not be deterred. Nobody is standing up for parents so we have to protest."  He added he did not know where protests were likely to start up next - but it could be "anywhere where parents feel they are not being listened to."  Union leader Rob Kelsall, of the National Association of Headteachers , said Mr Ahmed's comments echoed his own findings that revealed ‘at least 20’ schools in the city were being pressured over what and when they introduced LGBT equality messages, with letters sent in to schools and direct contact.  “It is completely unacceptable and demonstrates again that the Government needs to step up urgently to eradicate any uncertainty and protect staff, parents and pupils."  So far this year we have reported about eight primary schools which have stopped teaching equality programmes featuring LGBT messages after concerns were raised by parents.  Birmingham MP Jess Phillips, who has given her unequivocal backing to school heads facing protests, said it was unfair and unacceptable for school heads to be facing this level of pressure to conform to parents' wishes - and it was time for Education Secretary Damian Hinds to act decisively.  “He thinks this is a local minority issue on a small scale - he needs to wake up to the fact that there are huge implications for every school.  "Schools are being pressured on this in Birmingham, in Manchester, in Yorkshire. Hinds needs to intervene and make it clear and explicit that this is not optional and to end the burden on head teachers.  "There is no opting out of the public sector equality duty and no opting out of RSE legislation (which comes into force next year). Any school that does so could themselves face a legal challenge.  "If we don't sort this out now it will be a troubling issue for years. It makes me very angry that heads are facing intimidation for carrying out their legal duty, while the Education Secretary fudges the issue."  Meanwhile, video footage has emerged from Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre, one of the city’s biggest mosques, of an imam urging parents and young men to take a stand against LGBT equality teaching, in the name of Islam.  The footage shows him saying: “We say it’s okay to schools to talk to our children about relationships and sex education – but it comes with conditions.  “Don’t teach my child homosexuality because I don’t condone it - in the same way you don’t want your child to hear about plural marriages and the blessings of plural marriages.  “This goes against my religion.”  The imam was Abu Usamah, who regularly visits to deliver prayers and guidance from the pulpit.  A protest is planned again today (June 21) close to Anderton Park School - outside the exclusion zone in place around the school's perimeter after a temporary injunction was introduced last month .  Meanwhile, talks between parents and teachers at Parkfield School in Saltley are heading towards a finale. The No Outsiders programme of equality teaching, the brainchild of the school's assistant head Andrew Moffatt, is currently suspended while the consultation takes place.  Similar talks have also just started at five primary schools run by the Leigh Trust - Alston Primary Schoo l, Wyndcliffe Primary School , Leigh Primary Schoo l, Marlborough Junior Schoo l and Marlborough Infants School . The trust suspended No Outsiders in April and began consultation with parents.  A spokesman for the Leigh Trust said: "We are proud to be an open and inclusive group of schools which embraces equality and diversity that have always been reflected in our core vision, values and ethos. Over the last few years, we have used the No Outsiders programme to support this.  "Our Trust also values positive parental engagement. That is why we paused the programme, so that we could hear their views and have open discussions with the parents of all children in our schools.  "This process has just started, through first inviting written responses, which will then be sifted through by a representative working group of parents from across year groups and schools, teachers, trust leaders and governors.  “This process will ensure we find a productive way forward for continuing to deliver equality and diversity.”  Two other schools, Yew Tree Primary and City Road Primary, run by the Inspire Education Community Trust, has also put elements of teaching around the personal, social, health and emotional curriculum 'on hold' while it hosts workshops and information events with parents.  Prof Colin Diamond, Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Birmingham and education chief for Birmingham City Council, has previously sounded the alarm about the potential for the protests to spread to any schools that don't bow to parents' wishes.  He said he felt it was 'a mistake' for schools like Parkfield and the Leigh Trust schools to suspend lessons while consulting with parents.  “It’s sending out the message that the curriculum is negotiable, according to mob rule," he explained.  "I have yet to see any statement of unequivocal support for the school from the Department for Education. Headteachers working further afield where the protests have spread, such as Oldham and Manchester, are vulnerable unless they can count on local and national support,” he said.  He compared what was happening now over LGBT equality and sex ed at schools to the Trojan Horse saga of 2014-15.  “The protests have been most pronounced in Birmingham because it has a history of religious activism to undermine schools,” he said.  He said the big difference between now and 2014, when the  Trojan horse scandal  broke, was how activists were seeking to undermine school leaders they disapprove of, under the auspices of religious concern.  No longer so easily able to infiltrate governing bodies, they are now trying to influence policy “from outside the school gates”, he said.  "This is a deliberate tactic designed to undermine confidence and pressure teachers. The fact they are isolated, with no strong messages coming from the Department for Education, makes them more vulnerable."  Lawyer Nazir Afzal, who tried to mediate in the Anderton Park School row without success, made the same damning assessment, suggesting teachers were being left isolated by the failings of what he called a 'cowardly Government' unwilling to be explicit about what the law on equality and human rights requires schools to do, and when.  By way of response, Damian Hinds wrote an opinion piece for BirminghamLive - you can read his comments in full HERE


dailyheraldchicago--2019-06-26--River Trails District 26 parents speak out against grade level centers

A proposal to replace elementary schools with grade level centers in Mount Prospect-based River Trails Elementary District 26 was opposed by dozens of parents and community members who packed a school board meeting Tuesday.  Combining kindergarten through second grade at the existing Euclid Elementary and grades 3-5 at Indian Grove Elementary is one option the board is considering to deal with overcrowding in the district.  The proposal also comes after voters in April rejected plans to borrow $19 million to expand Park View School so it could hold kindergarten and preschool classes and free up space at the two elementary schools. A $27 million request by referendum to build an early learning center also failed in 2015.  District officials say that by combining grades, the highest average class size would be 21 students in grades K-2, and 24 in grades 3-5.  Were the traditional elementary schools to stay in place, class sizes would grow to 22 students in K-2, and 26-27 in grades 3-5, they say.  Another option the school board is considering is to move all kindergarten classes -- now held at the two elementary buildings -- to Park View, while preschool classes would move from Park View back to the elementaries. As a result, it could cost $1 million to make building renovations to Park View.  Park View also houses the district administrative offices and a Montessori school, but that organization's lease expires at the end of this week.  Another "hybrid" model introduced Tuesday by Superintendent Nancy Wagner would implement grade level centers and a centralized kindergarten center. She said it would eliminate overcrowding but still come with the cost of making building renovations.  "I think in a perfect world we'd all love to maintain our local schools with kindergarten through fifth grade," Wagner said. "We don't have room."  Wagner said the projected class size of 29 students in fifth grade next year is "not what people are used to in River Trails 26."  "That's really scary for us," she said. "We worry about giving kids the education they need."  But parents overwhelmingly voiced their opposition to the possibility of grade level centers, with some two dozen speaking during 1½ hours of public comment Tuesday night. Kathy Sagris gave the board a petition of 245 people against the plan, saying it would hurt student academic performance and would do little to solve the overcrowding.  "How can this be the best option for our kids?" Sagris said.  Jim Meyer, a former District 26 board member and now retired Wheeling High School teacher, said the board looked at grade level centers in the late 1990s as enrollment was going up, but he believes it is cyclical.  "It goes up. It goes down," Meyer said. "I think moving kids around is just a bad idea."  Board President Frank Fiarito said he didn't support grade level centers when he ran for the board nine years ago, but he also said, "Never say never."  He said other options, such as mobile classrooms or larger class sizes, are not ideal, and grade level centers remain "one of the best options we have."  Board member Janine Freedlund said she did not like any of the options presented.  "We will have preschool kids -- the majority are special eds -- who will be kicked back to their home school, then kicked back to the kindergarten center, then kicked back to their home school," she said. "It's a lot of movement everywhere. No matter what we do, it's really awful."  The board is expected to vote on a plan July 16, with changes to take effect in the 2020-2021 school year.


freedombunker--2019-07-19--Yes Parents Are Capable of Choosing How Their Children Should Be Educated

Yes, Parents Are Capable of Choosing How Their Children Should Be Educated

At the heart of debates around education freedom and school choice is the subtle but sinister sentiment that parents can’t be trusted. They are too busy, too poor, or too ignorant to make the right decisions for their kids, and others know better how to raise and educate children. Never mind that parents have successfully cared for and educated their children for millennia, ensuring the ongoing survival and continued success of our species.  As economist Richard Ebeling writes in the introduction to Sheldon Richman’s book Separating School & State:  We see this distrust of parents play out in a number of policy areas, including most recently with the implementation of universal government preschool for four-year-olds (and increasingly three-year-olds) in cities like New York and Washington, DC, and in academic reports arguing for “Cradle to Kindergarten” government interventions. These efforts are nearly always framed as helping parents, taking the burden off of low- and middle-income families, and addressing inequality and achievement gaps. But the message is clear: parents, and especially disadvantaged parents, can’t be expected to effectively raise their children and see to their education without the government’s help.  Some researchers say this outright. In an article published in this week’s Washington Post about alleged summer learning loss among schoolchildren, Kelly Chandler-Olcott suggests that to fix the problem, we need to stop expecting parents to nurture their children during the summer months and instead rely on experts to do it for them. She writes:  This is during the summertime, mind you, when parents have long been responsible for the care of their children. Apparently now the academic crisis is so dire, particularly for low-income children, and parents’ “year-round obligations” are so huge, that we should entrust others to do throughout the summer months what seemingly didn’t work well during the academic year. As I wrote at NPR, we need to ask ourselves if kids can so quickly forget during summertime what they purportedly learned during the school year, did they ever really learn it at all? And if “most parents lack preparation to address academic subjects,” then what does that say about the education they received through public schooling?  The idea that parents get in the way of children’s education and can halt their flourishing is nothing new. As he was designing the architecture for compulsory mass schooling in the 19th century, Horace Mann argued that education was too important to be left to parents’ discretion. He explained that strong parental bonds are obstacles to children’s and society’s development, writing in his fourth lecture on education in 1840:  Mann goes on to say that “just as soon as we can make them see the true relation in which they and their children stand to this cause, they will become advocates for its advancement,” supporting the complete shift in control of education from the family to the state. It’s for the good of all, Mann said—except for parents like him who homeschooled his own children while mandating forced schooling for others.  Place trust in the “perennial force” of parenthood, even when—or perhaps especially when—others distrust it.  The solution is for parents to push back against creeping government control of education and child-rearing. Don’t be wooed by the siren song of feigned empathy for your burdens of work and family. Don’t be convinced of the false belief that you are incapable of caring for your children and determining how, where, and with whom they should be educated. Don’t let your “inexhaustible” parental instincts be weakened by government guardians who think they know what is best for your child. Demand freedom and choice.  Parents are powerful. They are not perfect, and they do fail, but they are more perfect and fail much less than state agents and government bureaucracies intoxicated by authority and ego. They should take back control of their children’s education by advocating for parental choice and resisting efforts to undermine their innate capacity to care for their children’s well-being.  Place trust in the “perennial force” of parenthood, even when—or perhaps especially when—others distrust it.


freedombunker--2019-12-10--High School Cancels ‘Tarzan’ Musical Because Parents Said It’s Racist

'They just were worried about the portrayal of our students in terms of students of color and whatnot in that,' Baiocco said of the parents."  Baiocco added that the parents were also troubled by the possibility that nonwhite students would appear as apes onstage. According to state education data , the district that includes Alexander Hamilton serves a diverse student population. More than 50 percent of students are Hispanic or Latino and about 23 percent are black or African American.  So these are two different objections: First, that the source material, Tarzan of the Apes, is problematic, and second, that students of color might be dressed up as apes. It would be wrong to say that both concerns are entirely unfounded. (The novel, like many things written more than a hundred years ago, is no doubt flawed by modern standards.) But here's a pertinent question: Did any of the actual students share these objections? The Post article puts it all on the parents, who must seemingly be placated at any cost.  "One of the things that we're working on this year is a big equity push in terms of making sure that we're equitable in everything that we do," said Baiocco. "One of the messages that I had conveyed to parents at the beginning of school year was that if one person felt uncomfortable with something, please let us know that. We want those voices to be heard."  Susan Van Buskirk, who directed a Tarzan play at another high school, pointed out that there are real downsides when a school defaults to knee-jerk censorship the moment anyone complains:  "'The whole point of theater is to reflect society and discuss society, whatever it is you're seeing,' Van Buskirk told the Journal News. 'I think if we decide we're just going to immediately hair-trigger cancel anything that might make anyone uncomfortable, we're missing a chance to teach.'"  This development follows the cancellation of an anti-racist play at Washington College because some members of the campus community said any depiction of the Ku Klux Klan—even as the villains of the story—would make people feel unsafe.  Censoring depictions of past injustices will not make society better educated about injustice. Similarly, forbidding teenagers from acting out Disney's Tarzan due to past racial stereotypes (and the original source material of the Disney rendition that has since been deviated from) seems likely to reinforce, rather than undermine, past racism.


greenwichtime--2019-11-15--Westchester County football coach benched; parents in uproar

A New Rochelle, N.Y. school superintendent, who reassigned a popular football coach before a big playoff game, has prompted calls for her resignation.  Laura Feijóo’s decision to “reassign” Lou DiRienzo from coaching the New Rochelle High School Hugunots has ignited a firestorm of opposition with many parents demanding answers.  DiRienzo, known as “Coach D,” has held the coaching job for 28 years. He is also a physical education at the school.  On Thursday morning, Feijóo, who has been on the job two weeks, held a new conference on her decision to strip DiRienzo from his coaching duties. Many parents were on hand to express their disappointment with her decision.  Some said that Feijóo - not DiRienzo - should be reassigned out of her job.  But Feijóo and district officials said they could not disclose exactly why DiRienzo was reassigned.  In a letter send home to parents, Feijóo wrote “While many of you may be seeking and/or may seek additional information concerning the foregoing, please know that the district has an obligation to ensure that the confidentiality rights of our staff members are not violated by District representatives at any time.  “This obligation invariably limits the amount of information that can be shared with parents, notwithstanding our desire to do so.  “We understand many of you may be disappointed by this news and certainly understand the importance of this game to our school and our community.  “However, we are confident that our student athletes will continue to perform in an outstanding manner under the assistant coaches' stewardship during this time and we will provide any and all resources necessary to ensure our team's continued success.”  Since then, the New Rochelle High School Football Parents Association posted on its Facebook page Friday what they said were new “facts” of the incident.  It also started a petition on change.org to “Reinstate Coach D immediately.”  It said DiRienzo was inside his office on Wednesday when he got a call from a parent, who is a relative.  “The parent said words to the effect of ‘I got a call from my daughter’s friend, who said my daughter is sick and I need to come and pick her up. My husband is on the way to the school to get her. Would you please go see if she’s OK?’  “The coach went to the cafeteria and saw the student was in distress. She required help walking out of the building. Her friends supported her, and the coach walked with them to the door.”  DiRienzo went back to his office where he received a call from the school principal, who questioned him about the incident.  “Shortly afterward, coach was advised that he could not conduct practice with the football team that afternoon and had to attend a meeting with the director of human resources that morning. He then received a letter from Peter Scordo, the Director of Human Resources, that he is ‘temporarily reassigned from his coaching duties’ pending completion of an investigation.”  The association said the administration had neither met with DiRienzo or told him told the reason for his benching.  “There no element of the foregoing facts that would justify their suspension of a dedicated mentor who has served this community to the utmost, much less justify the public slap in the face and irreparable damage to Coach DeRienzo’s reputation caused by this incident.”  On Saturday, DiRienzo’s assistants will coach the Hugunots’ regional playoff game at Mahopac High School in Putnam County.  A victory would send the undefeated New Rochelle team to next weekend’s semifinals as they seek its third state championship.  While he won’t be coaching the team, “Coach D” will be watching.


hitandrun--2019-12-20--Kindergarten Bars Boys from Wearing Ear Studs, Parents Sue for Sex Discrimination

On its face, the policy clearly does discriminate based on sex, and thus seems like a facial violation of Title IX and a presumptive violation of the Equal Protection Clause (since the kindergarten is a public charter school). But courts in employment discrimination cases have long upheld certain kinds of sex-differential grooming policies, such as hair length policies, so long as both men and women are subjected to standards that are seen as socially accepted for their sex. Here is an excerpt from Hayden ex rel. A.H. v. Greensburg Community School Corp. (7th Cir. 2014), the precedent on which the plaintiff chiefly relies, which struck down a male-only hair-length limit for a high school's baseball and basketball players:  Presumably in this case, the school will indeed argue that its policy provides extensive grooming rules (albeit not identical ones) both for boys and for girls:  Appropriate undergarments must be worn and not visible. Camis for girls and undershirts for boys are allowed, but not required, and must not show. Make-up may not be worn until the 7th grade and must be conservative in nature. Tattoos and body piercings, other than girls' earrings, are not allowed. Earrings must be limited to 1 earring per ear. Large, dangling or hoop-type earrings are not allowed. Jewelry other than watches for boys or girls, and small earrings on girls, may not be worn. This includes bracelets. Bracelets are not allowed. Official RMCA bracelets are allowed to be worn. Necklaces may be worn but should be inside the shirt. Hairstyle and hair color must be conservative in nature. Boys' hair must not extend below the top of the shirt collar in the back, the bottom of the ears on the sides or the eyebrows in front. Mohawk, faux hawk, no symbols, shapes or designs of any kind shaved into the head or anything that inhibits the learning environment as determined by the campus principal. Hair may not be spiked. Large hair decorations may not be worn. Bandanas may not be   worn. Highlights must be two tones lighter or darker than the student's natural hair color. No highlights that are not a natural hair color. No pocket chains or hats may be worn in the building.  And the Supreme Court's pending case on whether gender identity discrimination violates Title VII may ultimately affect the analysis as well, depending on what reasoning the Court endorses. You can read the plaintiff's motion for a temporary restraining order, and here's the school's public statement in response (its legal arguments have not yet been filed):  Rocky Mountain Classical Academy works hard every day to create a positive school environment for all its students. Since the School's opening, an important component of this has included a dress code for all students. Our dress code is part of our overall student code of conduct, which expects students to uphold a high standard of excellence and contribute in a positive fashion to their class and the school. Our dress code is published on our website and contained in the Parent Student Handbook, which all parents must review and sign at the beginning of each school year. The mother in this situation signed the Parent Student Handbook at the beginning of the year like all other parents. She was aware of RMCA's dress code prior to enrolling her son in Kindergarten. As with every other parent, numerous RMCA employees have asked the mother to bring her son to school in compliance with the dress code, which would mean removing his earrings when he is at school. She has refused and appealed her disagreement up the chain of command to the RMCA Board, which upheld the dress code after a public meeting on December 3, 2019. Once the Board made its final decision, the School instructed the mother to comply with the dress code by December 9, but she continued to refuse. This left the School no choice but to suspend the student for willfully disobeying the School's rules. The School will continue to insist that this family, like every other, obeys the RMCA dress code, which contributes towards the positive educational environment that all RMCA families enjoy each day.


hotair--2019-07-30--New perfectly legal college scam Rich parents giving up guardianship of their children to qualify

New, perfectly legal college scam: Rich parents giving up guardianship of their children to qualify them for financial aid

For some reason it’s the petty corruption of stories like this and the Lori Loughlin one, involving fatcats rigging the college process for their kids, that brings out my inner populist more so than the grand-scale corruption that the rich routinely engage in. You want to buy off federal regulators to protect your business’s bottom line? Eh, whatever. That’s something elite cretins in every society do.  You want to run a scam to get your kid a discount admission to university when poorer families are desperate for aid? Then we should turn you and your spawn into hot dogs.  Partly that’s me being parochial. Many of us know firsthand the financial burden of paying for school whereas influence peddling on Capitol Hill doesn’t reach us as directly. But it’s also partly the sense that the playing field should be a bit more equal for kids, at least. There’s so much time for the rich to game various systems to their advantage once they’re adults! At least give the teens from schlubby middle-class families a fighting chance.  Anyway, fire up the grill. It’s hot-dog time.  Parents are giving up legal guardianship of their children during their junior or senior year in high school to someone else — a friend, aunt, cousin or grandparent. The guardianship status then allows the students to declare themselves financially independent of their families so they can qualify for federal, state and university aid, a ProPublica Illinois investigation found… ProPublica Illinois found more than 40 guardianship cases fitting this profile filed between January 2018 and June 2019 in the Chicago suburbs of Lake County alone. The parents involved in these cases include lawyers, a doctor and an assistant schools superintendent, as well as insurance and real estate agents. A number of the children are high-achieving scholars, athletes and musicians who attend or have been accepted to a range of universities… In Illinois last year, about 82,000 students who were eligible for the [Monetary Award Program] grant, up to about $5,000, did not receive it because there wasn’t enough money. The grant is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.  In other words, if you’re in the not-so-sweet spot between middle class, where your kid qualifies for aid, and quite rich, where the cost of education is of no consequence, you’re better off effectively emancipating them so that they can feed from the same trough of grant money as students in more dire need of financial help. The Journal looked at one case:  One Chicago-area woman told The Wall Street Journal that she transferred guardianship of her then 17-year-old daughter to her business partner last year. While her household income is greater than $250,000 a year, she said, she and her husband have spent about $600,000 putting several older children through college and have no equity in their home, which is valued at about $1.2 million, according to the property website Zillow. She said she has little cash on hand and little saved for her daughter’s education… Today, her daughter attends a private college on the West Coast which costs $65,000 in annual tuition, she said. The daughter received a $27,000 merit scholarship and an additional $20,000 in need-based aid, including a federal Pell grant, which she won’t have to pay back. The daughter is responsible for $18,000 a year, which her grandparents pay, the woman said.  Once the guardianship was established, the daughter’s household income for federal financial aid purposes was a scant $4,200. And really, what else could the family in this case do?  What’s that, you say? They could have sent their daughter to a state school instead? Well … yeah, I suppose they could have.  Or they could have asked each of their children to attend state schools so that there’d be money left over to pay the youngest’s tuition? I guess they could have done that too.  Or they could have sold their million-dollar home years ago in anticipation of another round of tuition, downsized to a smaller place, and applied the monthly savings in housing costs to a 529 account?  The Department of Ed is reportedly looking at tightening the rule for guardianships so that students who continue to receive financial support from their parents after a guardianship has been granted would be treated as still belonging to their parents’ household for financial aid purposes. That’s good, but I wonder how easy it would be to skirt it. In one case described by Pro Publica, the guardianship lasted for just a month; presumably it’d be easy for some of these families to gift their kid with, say, six months’ of living expenses before a short-term guardianship so that no support needs to be provided afterwards.  Unanswered exit questions: Are these cases only happening in and around Chicago, which is the focus of the two pieces quoted above, or is it a national phenomenon? Should the feds be able to recover grant money awarded pursuant to a fraudulent guardianship?


instapundit--2019-06-27--CHANGE Asian parents call for Schools Chancellor Richard Carranzas firing Branding him a dang

CHANGE? Asian parents call for Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s firing. “Branding him a ‘dang…

CHANGE? Asian parents call for Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s firing. “Branding him a ‘dangerous’ anti-Asian racist, a group of some 80 protesters gathered Wednesday outside the Department of Education headquarters in Manhattan to call for Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza’s ouster.”


lifesitenews--2019-12-19--After parents revolt, New Hampshire school board axes horrible transgender policy

December 18, 2019 (MassResistance) — Earlier this month, the school board in Franklin, New Hampshire, dominated by liberal politicians, was ready to pass an odious "transgender" policy that would impose bizarre and radical rules on all students (and their parents) in the district.  The proposed policy, titled "Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students Procedure," reads like something from a crackpot "queer theory" book. Some of its features: • It forces students and staff to accept pseudo-scientific terms, such as gender identity, gender non-binary, cisgender, transgender, gender fluid, and gender transition. • It allows a student to decide if he or she wants to dress as the opposite sex, be called by an opposite-sex name, and be referred to by the pronoun of the opposite sex. All students and staff would be forced to go along with this. • The policy includes a "privacy" provision where this could all be kept private from the student's parents! • It would allow a "transgender" student to use either the boys' or girls' restrooms or locker rooms, whichever he or she desires, depending on the student's chosen "gender identity." • Students and staff members will be required to undergo "training" to accept these deviant behaviors as if they were completely normal.  It's madness. But the school officials and Board members saw no problems with it.  The policy was quietly introduced by the Board in October, and given its second reading on November 18. Many people in town were shocked and outraged, but the Board members figured they could vote it in without much trouble.  Claiming that the state forced them to do it  The School Board said that the reason they were doing this was that in July the legislature passed into law Bill SB 263, titled "An act relative to anti-discrimination protection for students in public schools." (The bill was signed by the RINO Governor Chris Sununu.) The law includes this vague clause that requires schools to develop some type of policy (with details left up to the individual school districts):  This policy requirement appears to be another attempt to push the Left's growing ideological laundry list of "protected classes" into the public schools.  But the Franklin school officials are clearly using this as an excuse to push their own bizarre agenda by submitting a set of radical "transgender" rules to impose on everyone. They ignored actual wording of the law — and the larger list of anti-discrimination classes. And almost no one would have noticed that the school officials were doing that.  Then MassResistance intervened. In late November we got a call from Karen Testerman, a member of the Franklin City Council and a long time pro-family activist. The parents there needed help, and we got right to work!  We organized people and educated them on what was happening and how to deal with it. We worked with the people in Franklin to begin an aggressive social media campaign along with phone calls to Board members, and hard-hitting testimony at the Board meetings. We made sure that people knew very clearly how this proposed policy doesn't even follow the law, but is just a sham being pushed by pro-LGBT officials.  On December 9, the Board conceded to parents' demands and held a public hearing to hear comments from the community on the new policy. We didn't disappoint them! People filled the room.  One of the most powerful speakers was Karen Testerman. Among other things, Karen told the Board Members: • If a student is able to authorize his or her record without parental consent, this is in violation of FERPA which gives parents ultimate authority. • Gender dysphoria is a mental health problem that needs professional help. Are the Franklin High School counsellors certified practitioners? • According to the recent National Assessment and Educational Progress Reports, 64% of Franklin High School eleventh graders cannot read at grade level, and 85% of them cannot do math at grade level. On a standard A–F grading scale, you [Board members] are failing at your primary mission. • You [Board members] often express your concern over the 50-plus percent of your students who are on free and reduced lunches, the challenge of opioid addiction, and the tragedy of the suicides amongst our youth. And yet, you are discussing implementing a policy that encourages the use of drugs (including opposite-sex hormones and puberty blockers), mutilation of their physical bodies, and results in a very high suicide rate.  Others reminded the Board — also in very strong terms — that this is all unscientific nonsense that will result in hideous destruction to children. People are either male or female — and that is permanent. It's a clinical disorder for anyone to believe it's possible to change their sex. So-called sex reassignment involves amputation of healthy body parts and other ghastly procedures that cause permanent harm and disfigurement. One study has shown that over 40% of transgenders have attempted suicide. These children need psychiatric help, not pandering to their afflictions.  Only a few people came and spoke in support of the transgender policy. The high school principal, who agrees with the policy, sat with the supporters. (That says a lot about the kind of people who are running the schools.)  But our efforts worked. As a result, at that meeting the Board Chairman announced that the policy was being sent back to the "policy committee" for a re-write. And we're organizing even more people to sure it doesn't come back in any similar form!  What should the policy look like?  We'll take a stab at that here: A true, common-sense anti-discrimination policy, going along with what the text of the law instructs, would "guide the development and implementation of a coordinated plan" that would protect all students and their parents from having to subvert their values and religious beliefs to unscientific quackery and radical ideology. This would certainly apply to the laundry list of "protected classes" being thrust at them by the Legislature.  That kind of policy would ultimately be better for everybody. It's something all parents should demand.  As we mentioned above, the fact that the principal, Superintendent, and School Board all have no problem with the outrageous policy they almost voted in should be a huge red flag to the community! Most people simply don't appreciate how bad the people running our schools really are.  We'll keep you informed on what happens with the Franklin School District policy.