Are you ever upset about what your children are exposed to in their public school? Do you have a desire to correct the wrongdoings?
Fighting for justice can be hard in a world that constantly condemns others for being “judgmental” or “too strict.”
More often than ever, schoolchildren are being exposed to pornographic and sexually violent images in the name of “sex education.”
Lori Porter, Director of Parents’ Rights in Education, has compiled 12 bullet points on how to create change in a respectful way.
Her mission is to protect and advocate for parents’ rights to guide the education of their children.
How to Create Change in a Respectful way:
Look at school district policy and find out what it says about providing a “safe learning environment” for students, supporting parent/child relationship, and student/teacher having inappropriate material/porn via phone, computer, etc. Make copies of these (for when speaking to admin, super, school board, etc.).
Tell/show this to as many parents and guardians as possible in the school district!
Go to superintendent (never alone). Have these pictures in hand.
Videotape (preferably) or audio tape your meeting. (*Superintendent wants to keep his/her job; does not want scandal; does not want to taint his/her reputation…for any future job they may pursue). Expect them to justify how this “artwork” is appropriate for minors to be exposed to. If your concerns are dismissed, get as much publicity on this as possible – put pressure and the spotlight on the district.
Any and every parent possible, should go into building and begin taking pictures of this evidence. They should go see administrator (never go alone) and request that these pictures be removed. They should videotape or audiotape these meetings whenever possible.
Show these pictures to law enforcement/district attorney – ask their opinion and recommendation.
Show these pictures to your locally elected representatives.
Go to media – show them these pictures, encourage them to attend the next school board meeting. School districts do not want negative publicity (they don’t want to lose students, bond measures, or parent volunteers).
Go to next school board meeting. ALWAYS videotape these meetings (with phone or whatever). Make copies of these pictures for each board member. During public comment, describe in detail these pictures for the board, superintendent, and audience to hear. (*I would forewarn the audience in advance…in case minors are present – which is ironic, since this is what is being displayed). As you describe pictures, make sure that someone is getting the reactions of the school board on tape.
Get an attorney involved.
Every student deserves school to be a “safe space”. Having these pictures around does just the opposite. Consider students who have been sexually abused and how this may impact them. Consider how a student who has had a friend or family member hang themselves.
Consider the diverse cultural norms and religious values of parents and students – how disrespectful this is.
Ask the district what policies they have in place that limit (put boundaries/restrictions on) explicit, erotic, controversial subjects.
How do they guide/limit teachers on what is allowed to be discussed, shown (ie: via Youtube), read or demonstrated in the classroom?
If an adult showed some these pictures to minors out on the street/in a parking lot…you’d get arrested.
Lori Porter, MAT, MBA
Director, Parents’ Rights in Education
[ParentsRightsinEd.net , [email protected] , http://www.abstinence.net/library/e-mail-update-archive/respectful-resolve-12-points-for-parents-to-consider/ ]