Monthly
Newsletter 01 Mar2025 edition
Distributed the 1st of each month.
Read the latest news about the struggle to preserve parental rights at all levels of government. Learn what the Santa Clara Moms for Liberty group has been up to, what upcoming events and functions we're having, and how you can help.
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The Winds of Change are Blowing... |
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There's a new sheriff in town, and he is not happy with the U.S. "education" system. |
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After years of being targeted by the federal government under Joe Biden, parents can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing the Trump administration sees them as partners, not adversaries, when it comes to K-12 education.
President Donald Trump has taken several actions that direct schools to refocus on education, not indoctrination. In his first days in office, President Trump has issued executive orders related to school funding, immediately ordering an investigation into the DEI agendas of any institution receiving federal funds.
In addition, the administration is working to reverse the troubling trend of school districts converting girls’ restrooms into “all-gender” facilities, starting with an investigation into this discriminatory practice in Denver Public Schools.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress – the Nation’s Report Card – indicates the reason for the declining scores in math and reading: The Department of Education has had the wrong priorities for several years now.
Per Parents Defending Education researcher Rhyen Staley, “To understand why the K-12 system as a whole has been so poor at teaching children to read, write, do math, and understand science, look no further than the priorities set out and funded by leadership over the last couple years – destructive psychological fads, race-conscious practices and discipline programs, and training teachers to be social justice activists.”
While the shift in focus for the federal government is most welcome, perhaps more encouraging is what has been taking place in the states.
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In Wyoming, Rep. Tomi Strock introduced House Bill 46 (HB46), the Homeschool Freedom Act. This bill would remove some of the bureaucratic red tape for parents who choose to exercise their right to direct the education of their children outside the public school norms.
When the bill passed the House last week with a solid majority (54-6, 2 not voting), it appeared calls and emails would not be necessary to move it forward in the Senate. What might be helpful, however, would be a letter of support. So, I wrote one up and sent it to members of the Senate Education Committee, urging them to take up the bill.
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In the letter, I pointed out that the liberty of parents to direct the education of their children has long been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court, and that requiring parents to file an annual letter of intent and curriculum with the local school district creates a burden on this right and unneeded bureaucracy for both the parents and the school district.
While we have not yet seen the committee move the bill forward, we have made sure they know where we stand. If they still fail to act, an email alert may be coming in the days ahead so that they can hear from Wyoming’s parental rights supporters directly. |
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In New York, Senator Anthony Palumbo has introduced Senate Bill 513 (S513) amending the state’s grandparent visitation statute to include a presumption that a parent’s decision is in the child’s best interest. And he has in his arsenal a letter of support from the Parental Rights Foundation.
“The ‘strong presumption that the parent’s decision is in the child’s best interest’ called for in the bill reflects the presumption called for by the U.S. Supreme Court in Parham v. J.R.,” I explain in that letter. “Yet, curiously, this presumption has been and remains missing from New York law.” |
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This bill, like HB46 in Wyoming, remains in committee in the Senate — in this case, New York’s Senate Children and Families Committee. Again, we support this bill and stand ready to send an alert if it should prove necessary to move the bill forward in the New York legislature. Fit parents should make their own decisions, without the help of a judge, about who their children should spend time with. |
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And in Virginia, Senate Bill 1031 (SB1031) threatened a 40-year-old law that preserves the freedom of parents to homeschool their children under a religious exemption. We joined several allies in talking with lawmakers to try to defeat the bill.
But we also took a different approach: I [Parental Rights Foundation President Michael Ramey] reached out to the Governor’s office in hopes of securing a backstop. Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin, who ran on a platform of parental rights, would very likely not let the bill safely cross his desk. So, I wrote and asked him. |
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And though I didn’t get a direct response to my query, I received a clear answer through another channel, as the governor appeared in a friend’s video saying that he opposed the bill. We had our backstop.
All of this became moot when the bill’s patron, feeling the overwhelming pressure that we and our Virginia allies brought to bear, amended the bill to create a non-binding study committee, which then failed to pass the Appropriations Committee. The bill died long before it would ever have reached the governor.
But it was comforting to know, even before that, that there was simply no path for the power grab measure to actually become law. By Any Means. |
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Become a Part of the Frontlines... |
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The Santa Clara chapter of Moms for Liberty would like to invite anyone interested in working as the group's vice-chair to give the idea serious consideration. It is both a rewarding and important task
Qualifications for the role include:
* Dedication to the idea of fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.
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* Advocacy for the proper and effective education of America's youth.
* Understanding of precisely how we engage with the public to - Promote liberty - Spread awareness - Engage on key issues - Hold leaders accountable - Oppose government overreach - Activate for patriots to public service |
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Join us in Sacramento on March 18th and 19th to attend the 4th annual "Parents, Not Partisans" Summit!, hosted by the California Policy Center This unique annual event brings together parents, educators, school board members, and education experts from across California to learn, network, and mobilize.
Day 1: Our all-day conference at the Embassy Suites Riverfront Promenade will feature California education reform leaders, policy experts and grassroots trailblazers for a series of panel discussions on the critical education issues for 2025. A light breakfast and boxed lunch will be provided. In the evening walk over to our can't-miss cocktail reception on Old Sacramento’s historic Delta King riverboat to mix and mingle with conference attendees and the CPC Team! Reserve your ticket on Eventbrite when registering for the conference (use code PARENTUNION for free tickets).
Day 2: Dive into legislative advocacy strategies in our morning session (we will also host a special session just for school board trustees) and then hop aboard our shuttle to the Capitol to make your voice heard. Participate in meetings with newly elected legislators, attend education committee hearings or watch a floor vote, then join us for a closing luncheon at our favorite Capitol restaurant to share experiences with friends and allies.
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Tiffany Justice Takes the Fight to a New Level... |
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It is with a mixture of joy and sadness that we received news that Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, will be stepping away from the organization. Tiffany has decided to take her joyful warrior talents to a whole new level and will be taking on national responsibilities within the Trump administration, working closely with Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
We wish Tiffany all the best in her latest endeavor, knowing that she will continue to provide a powerful voice in the struggle to preserve the rights of America's parents and safeguard the proper education of America's children. |
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More efforts in the struggle for parental rights in education. Support Education Freedom Legislation Across America
as announced on the Education Freedom site... |
Time for Education Freedom
Education freedom has been spreading across the states, giving more education choices to parents and their children. But we need more states to join this burgeoning movement.
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Education has the power to change the trajectory of a child’s entire life. And anyone who’s raised a child knows each child has different educational needs, learning styles and God-given talents. The fact is, parents know what’s best for their development and for their future.
In a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the idea of self-governance, education freedom should be considered an essential right. A Civil Right.
Please send a message to your state representatives using the form on this page. Ask your representatives to pass this important bill so families like yours can have the education freedom you deserve!
The Education Freedom Movement, the Civil Rights issue of the 21st century, is sweeping the nation. There are 32 states with some form of education freedom (ESA’s, tax-credit scholarships, and other programs) — 12 of them universal. The short term goal is to pass universal education freedom in 25 states by 2027.
The Mission
Drive national awareness about education freedom wins in states, with the goal of universal choice everywhere. Drive adoption rates by creating more awareness around education freedom. Usher in a national parent-powered education revolution that drives up political positives for legislators who champion education freedom. Create an accountability mechanism for states and legislators who oppose education freedom.
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New Presidential Executive Orders |
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Per a note from Moms for Liberty Co-Founder Tina Descovich:
President Trump signed several Executive Orders addressing key issues we've long advocated for at Moms for Liberty. We are pleased to highlight that these orders focus on areas we've tirelessly worked to bring to light: combating radical indoctrination in K-12 schools, protecting children from chemical and surgical procedures in "gender-affirming" care, and promoting educational freedom.
NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED without our members exposing these dangers, speaking out at school board meetings and engaging community members. THANK YOU for all you do!
Click the links below to read more about these important issues!
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ENDING RADICAL INDOCTRINATION IN K-12 SCHOOLING:
"My Administration will enforce the law to ensure that recipients of Federal funds providing K-12 education comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination in various contexts and protecting parental rights, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), 42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.; Title IX, 20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.; FERPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232g; and the PPRA, 20 U.S.C. 1232h."
PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL & SURGICAL MUTILIATION:
"...it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called “transition” of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures."
EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM & OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES:
"It is the policy of my Administration to support parents in choosing and directing the upbringing and education of their children. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education shall issue guidance regarding how States can use Federal formula funds to support K-12 educational choice initiatives. |
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"...I write to clarify and reaffirm the nondiscrimination obligations of schools and other entities that receive federal financial assistance from the United States Department of Education..." |
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Palo Alto's school board was split on whether to move forward; then teachers and 9th graders made their case.
In hour two of a meeting that stretched to nearly five, Josh Salcman, barely two months on the Palo Alto Unified School Board, said aloud what other school board members no doubt realize at some point in their first term: “I’m acutely aware that no matter how I vote, I’m going to deeply disappoint a large part of our community, including people whose friendship is important to me and whose opinions I hold in the highest regard.”
He was undoubtedly right. Whether to require ninth graders to take an ethnic studies course starting next fall was and likely will remain contentious this year, not only in Palo Alto but throughout California.
Palo Alto had become the latest skirmish in California’s ethnic studies war. Salcman, who founded two education-related tech startups, was in the middle, ultimately facing the awkward decision of choosing between the views of enthusiastic students and teachers and apprehensive parents.
Continue reading the full article...
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One-in-1,000 kids with Type-2 diabetes is a “crisis,” according to the health establishment—but the same ratio of kids on puberty blockers is “very rare.”
In medical terms, is one in 1,000 a rare event? The answer, it turns out, is political.
When it comes to Type-2 diabetes, the health-care establishment appears to agree that the prevalence of 1.04 cases per 1,000 among 15- to 19-year-olds is cause for alarm. Diabetes Care, the flagship journal of the American Diabetes Association, noted in 2009 an “increasing and alarming incidence of type 2 diabetes in adolescent populations.” By 2023 that journal referred to it as “an awakening epidemic.” That same year, another journal echoed the sentiment, calling pediatric Type-2 diabetes an “urgent challenge.”
While a one-in-1,000 event is an “epidemic” and “urgent challenge” when it comes to Type-2 diabetes, however, it’s apparently nothing of the kind when it comes to so-called gender-affirming care for minors. A newly published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics estimates that 1.40 of every 1,000 adolescents born female have received a prescription for cross-sex hormones by the time they turn 18. The study therefore concludes that, from 2018 through 2022, “receipt of puberty blockers and hormones was rare.”
And it’s not just health “experts” who apply a double standard in how they characterize a one-in-1,000 medical event. Sympathetic members of legacy media faithfully parrot the same message.
A 2012 NPR segment noted that fears about a Type-2 diabetes epidemic among kids were coming true: “Researchers are especially concerned about the high rate of diabetes among teenage girls,” the report noted. “If their weight is not healthy,” a physiologist told NPR, “we’re going to have another generation of these children with metabolic problems that lead to diabetes and prediabetes.”
More than a dozen years later, characterizing the new study on pediatric gender medicine, NPR ran a story under the headline, “‘A very, very small number’ of teens receive gender-affirming care, study finds.” And while metabolic concerns and gender disparities are a concern for NPR when it comes to Type-2 diabetes, the same doesn’t hold true for gender medicine. No mention is made of how girls are more than twice as likely to receive a hormone prescription as boys, or of the metabolic effects of hormone treatment.
Continue reading the full article...
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The Department of Health and Human Services directed recipients of grant funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to immediately halt all programs, personnel and activities related to "gender ideology," according to an email obtained by ABC News.
“You must immediately terminate, to the maximum extent, all programs, personnel, activities, or contracts promoting or inculcating gender ideology at every level and activity, regardless of your location or the citizenship of employees or contractors, that are supported with funds from this award,” the email stated.
The email from HHS follows President Donald Trump's executive order -- Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government -- which directed the federal government to recognize only two sexes: male and female.
It also said that “any vestige, remnant, or re-named piece of any gender ideology programs funded by the U.S. government under this award are immediately, completely, and permanently terminated.”
The latest directive from the HHS impacts any entity that receives CDC funds, such as local health departments and clinics across the country, and it affects any programs supported by the nearly $4.5 billion spent by the CDC last year to aid health departments across all 50 states. |
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President Trump has performed Herculean work in fulfilling campaign promises, but thanks to a flimsy majority and weak-willed politicians, is having to do so via executive pen. He has signed more than 60 executive orders since taking office, dwarfing Joe Biden’s order count in the same period. Clearly there is a role for executive orders, and my point here is not to claim overreach, but to urge that the administration pursue serious justice for the crimes being uncovered daily, particularly considering massive wastefulness and dereliction of duty found in the continued audits of our departments.
Without this justice, the next autocratic dictator who comes to sit in the Oval Office will simply unwind our progress with executive orders and will be upheld by corrupt judges who are successfully shopped for and compensated as necessary to get the decisions needed. It has been my expectation that, without popular support or a majority in either chamber, the left’s agenda will be to stall Trump out with the judiciary and foist fraudulent impeachment cases against him for overreach, as has begun with Al Green in the House.
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'It's leaving behind students' President Donald Trump signs sweeping executive order to expand school choice by Sydney Dishon, as posted on First Coast News |
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday night to prioritize and allocate funding for expanding school choice programs.
Florida is already a leader in school choice programs, but this order could have significant impacts on families and schools.
Katie Hathaway is a Duval County Public Schools parents and is concerned about the move, telling First Coast News school choice is misleading.
"As a public school parent, it is maddening to see taxpayer dollars funneling out of our public education system to private schools through vouchers," Hathaway said. "The reality is vouchers leave behind students that rely on our public schools the most, and these are our low income students or students with disabilities."
President Trump's move to free up federal funding to expand school choice is something she says will create a divide.
"Our public dollars going to private institutions is just widening the gap between the haves and have nots, and it's not okay that is not what our education system was built to be," Hathaway said.
On the flip side, Tiffany Justice, Moms for Liberty Co-Founder, spoke with First Coast News about how she hopes to see school choice become more available to families.
"The government shouldn't be forcing parents to send their children to failing schools," Justice said.
This order could lead to additional resources for existing programs, and it would increase federal funding. Justice believes the move is beneficial for families and promotes educational freedom.
"Parents should be in the driver's seat of for every major decision that's happening in their children's lives," Justice said. "We hope to see more choice becoming available to moms and dads. Sometimes choice can be an illusion. You can have the idea of school choice or the opportunity to do it through the law, but if there aren't schools that are available for your child, then that is a problem, right? You can't really exercise choice." |
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Patel says concerned parents will never be 'domestic terrorists' under his FBI by Jackson Walker, as posted on Komo News |
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WASHINGTON (TNND) — Kash Patel, who is President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, said on Thursday he would not designate concerned parents as “domestic terrorists” if tapped to lead the agency.
The comment came during Patel's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., during the hearing probed Patel about deploying agents in schools where parents have expressed concerns about policies.
"Parents who have the courage to ensure their children are taught what they feel is right and those who have the courage and conviction to go to houses of worship in my book will never be domestic terrorists,” Patel said.
“I’m delighted to hear you say that,” Sen. Hawley responded.
The senator then showed Patel a 2021 memo filed by Biden administration Attorney General Merrick Garland which directed the FBI to investigate threats against school board members. The memo followed a since-retracted letter by the National Schools Boards Association (NSBA) likening concerned parents at school board meetings to "domestic terrorism" threats.
“Another gross abuse, incredible political power brought to bear against U.S. citizens, why?” Sen. Hawley asked. “Because they went to a school board meeting that they’re paying for and asked about what their kids are being taught.”
He then called on Patel to conduct an internal investigation to find the individuals responsible within the FBI.
Parents rights groups Moms for Liberty (MFL) and Parents Defending Education (PDE) in 2023 expressed frustration after being recognized as "extremist groups" promoting "hate" by Southern Poverty Law Center.
“Name-calling parents who want to be a part of their child's education as 'hate groups' or 'bigoted' just further exposes what this battle is all about," MFL co-founders Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich said in a statement. "Who fundamentally gets to decide what is taught to our kids in school?"
The Biden administration in late 2022 disbanded its National Parents and Families Engagement Council, formed just months prior. Parental rights groups, including PDE, filed a lawsuit that year claiming members of the council included people who supported the NSBA letter.
“Parents should NEVER be used as political props to advance radical policies that harm students," PDE founder and president Nicole Neily wrote via social media while reacting to the disbandment. |
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Final Thoughts...
Just a few short weeks into President Trump's second term things are really beginning to heat up. As the Chinese admonition goes, may you live in interesting times.
Stay tuned.
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Want to See the Change? Be the Change... |
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If you share our concern over what has been taking place in our classrooms, please consider joining with us as we fight for families, for children, for education, for truth, and for common sense.
We continue to ask people whether they understand what is now taking place within our school systems. We continue to provide information and resources to help people, especially parents, gain some idea of what's being taught to kids (and why). And yes, we continue to ask people to get involved and help with the lifting.
We fight against children being taught to hate their country, to judge people based on the color of their skin, and to ignore the basic truths of biology. We fight against the sexualization in school of little ones and the destruction of the innocence of youth. Perhaps most importantly, we fight to ensure that the proper teaching of math, reading and writing remain at the forefront of a child's education.
The idea that it is parents who are responsible for raising, educating, and seeing to the well being of their kids, that is sacrosanct.
Join with us in preserving the attributes and ideals of this great nation. Associate Membership comes free of dues.
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Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends and family. Actually anyone who acknowledges the fundamental right of parents to raise, educate, and protect their children are invited to join with us. We are gathering a group of joyful warriors, folks who understands why (and for whom) we fight.
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Organizations whose efforts we support... |
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Protecting and preserving civil liberties and health rights for all, with a focus on children... |
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Think on this... |
The truth is that ideas are all-important. The massive and seemingly solid institutions of any society — the economic institutions, the political institutions, the religious institutions — are always at the mercy of the ideas in the heads of the people who populate these institutions. The leverage of ideas is so immense that a slight change in the intellectual climate can and will — perhaps slowly but nevertheless inexorably — twist a familiar institution into an unrecognizable shape.
- Irving Kristol, Utopianism, Ancient and Modern
[Pete} Hegseth explains paideia as “the deeply seated affections, thinking, viewpoints, and virtues embedded in children at a young age, or, more simply, the rearing, molding, and education of a child”.
- Samuel Sadler, The Lost Paideia
Paideia is a kind of self-propagating reality. Education shapes culture, which in turn shapes education. Television is both influenced by culture, and promotes a certain culture. In other words, every television show has a paideia. Tik Toks have a paideia. Pop artists have a paideia. The layout of a home has a paideia. Each family has a paideia. - Samuel Sadler, The Lost Paideia
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Moms for Liberty Santa Clara County operates as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization.
The organization's primary mission is to organize, educate and empower parents
to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.
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