Parents hold a God given right and ultimate authority to protect, nurture, and educate their children, and this is especially true on matters of sexual identity and intimacy. Ironically, even the CHYA acknowledges this fact, stating:

“[P]arents and guardians have the ultimate responsibility for imparting values regarding human sexuality to their children.” (§ 51937).

While others may contribute to this solemn duty – extended family members, teachers, coaches, etc., – the job of parenting must never be delegated away. Parenting affects society in profoundly impactful ways. CHYA is a direct assault against parental authority and the well‐being of children. Yet parents are not without recourse. The following information present parents with options they should consider in their decisions of how to best protect their kids from CHYA.

OPT‐OUT. Parents have the right to exclude their children from certain aspects of CSE under CHYA (§ 51938 (b)(4)). This is an important step that all parents of public-school children should immediately take. Go to our OPT-OUT page to learn more.

Inspect the Curriculum. All parents should personally view the CSE curriculum being taught at their child’s school. Under CHYA, public schools are required to “[a]dvise the parent or guardian that written and audiovisual educational materials used in comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education are available for inspection.” (§ 51938 (b)(1)) Schools are also required to notify parents if outside consultants or speakers, such as Planned Parenthood, are being invited to teach on CSE. Parents are highly encouraged to inform their School District and/or School Principal of their intent to inspect all CSE curriculums, and then do so. You can and should:

• Ask that copies be made of any written educational materials that will be distributed to the student. (§ 51938(c)) The school may charge you ten cents per page. In the alternative, take photographs of the materials inspected.
• Ask if what has been provided is the complete curriculum for the student’s grade/age,
• State your objections, if any, to the materials.
• Document the details of your engagement with school officials.
• To see a detailed description of the CSE Curriculum as recommended by the California Department of Education Framework, go to the Curriculum page.

Fortunately, in the United States, parents still have alternatives to the public-school system. For most parents, these are private and homeschools.

The Supreme Court has held that states, “may impose reasonable regulations for the control and duration of basic education.” Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205, 213 (1972). This includes non-public-schools. However, the scope of such regulations are constrained by the rights afforded private entities and parents under the United States Constitution, and the First Amendment affords religious schools and homeschools freedom to tailor their children’s education according to their values.

California requires that each child attends a program of education starting with the school year a child turns 6 by September and ending on the child’s 18th birthday. This requirement can be accomplished through either private school or homeschooling.

Private School. Parents enjoy a fundamental, Constitutional, right to direct the education of their children. In 1925 the Supreme Court held that:

“The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations.” Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 535 (1925)

Private School can offer a refuge against the indoctrination of CHYA, albeit at a price. According to Private School Review, the average cost of private elementary school in California is $11,005/year and the private high school average is $18,861/year. (https://www.privateschoolreview.com/tuition-stats/california) However, these are state averages and many schools are able to provide quality educational services that are far more affordable, some at less than half the average fees. For private schools in a particular geographic area, Private School Review provides a list of private schools by zip code. (https://www.privateschoolreview.com/find-schools)

Homeschool. For growing numbers of Californians, homeschooling is the gold standard to ensure their children receive an education that both preserves parental values and is academically rigorous. Go to our homeschool page to learn more.

Be on the alert and support legislation (both state and federal) the promote true child welfare and parental rights. Examples of such legislation include bills that would:

• Advance education voucher systems or educational saving accounts
• Require on-line curriculum inspection for transparency and notification to parent on where they can find the on-line content (website),
• Require “OPT-IN” for sexual health instruction instead of requiring parents to actively OPT-OUT.
• Require schools to notify parents if their children are discovered identifying with a non-biological gender or suffering under Gender Dysphoria.
• Require that parents be notified and approve prior to any psychological or “gender affirming care” medical services be offered or provided to children.

Tip O’Neill was known for his trenchant observation, “all politics is local.” Real change in our public-school system will only occur if parents get involved in the political process. POK encourages concerned citizens to consider running for office. Obtaining a seat on your local school board gives you a seat at the decision-making table. As stated by the National School Boards Association, local school boards are responsible for, among other things, employing the superintendent and developing and adopting policies and school curriculums. You can discover more about participating as a school board member at the California School Board Association site.

For information about running a campaign for school board, visit Running for School Board and the Fair Political Practices Commission.