Restore Education Now: A California mom’s back-to-school agenda

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been busy this back-to-school season—launching a podcast, pinch hitting for his party’s presidential nominee, and further denigrating his home state’s education system. As a California mom of preteens and a former public school advocate, I’ve never been more troubled about the future of our state and country.

California schools have long been ranked in the bottom half on a national scale. The 2022 Nation’s Report Card (also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP) revealed only 30% of 8th graders were proficient in reading and 23% were proficient in math. Meritocracy has been abandoned. Restorative practices that prevent teachers from administering discipline destroy student accountability and safety. Mandated “Ethnic Studies” programs fracture unity. Parents no longer have legal authority over their own children at public schools. One could argue that California’s public education system teeters on state-sanctioned child abuse. And, in the words of our governor, “As California goes, so goes the nation.”

Enough is enough. Reasonable parents and teachers must reverse California’s radical trajectory. Here’s a commonsense task list for restoring our schools:

1. Swap “Ethnic Studies” for civics education.

California’s Ethnic Studies graduation requirement (AB-101) becomes official in 2029-30, despite being fraught with antisemitic and victim versus oppressor material. Alameda Unified School District in Northern California required students to create a slideshow on “white supremacy, patriarchy, heteronormativity, or cisnormativity” during class time, as part of the new curriculum. Meanwhile, a 2023 report by University of California, Riverside found that “civics education remains a low priority within the state’s [CA’s] public schools.” The 2022 Nation’s Report Card cited similar results across America, with only 22% of 8th graders scoring at or above the proficient level in civics. Dividing students with “Ethnic Studies” and diversity initiatives, instead of teaching them that we are unified as Americans, is destructive—which is why PragerU Kids offers free, educational videos and lesson plans that teach children what should be taught. How will we function as a free and informed society if our schools fail to educate young people about U.S. government and civic responsibility? We won’t.

2. Require parental notification.

California’s new AB-1955 law bars educators from informing parents about their own child—should a student request a change of name, pronouns, and/or restroom at school—unless the minor child approves it. This is an irresponsible, egregious overreach of government, and some legal scholars argue it is unconstitutional (U.S. Constitution, 14th Amendment, Due Process Clause). How is it acceptable to require teachers to keep life-changing secrets from parents about their children’s health and wellness, when parent signatures are required for administering over-the-counter medication, attending field trips, and acknowledging other parent-teacher communication? This flies in the face of California’s Education Code, which states that parents have the right to access their children’s records as well as develop school policy. Families and teachers can and should reject anything that usurps parental authority. As of July 16, 2024, Liberty Justice Center has filed legal action to fight AB-1955, Chino Valley Unified School District v. Newsom, to restore transparency and partnerships between parents and teachers. I applaud them and hope more families and districts follow suit.

3. Ditch restorative practices and bring back suspension.

Equity (baked into Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives) discards individual responsibility and merit, and should be scrapped in favor of reinstating standards and consequences. Deducting points for late homework, suspending students for serious behavioral conflicts, or rewarding pupils for outstanding achievements (i.e., selecting valedictorians) rarely occur anymore in California. San Francisco’s Marina Middle School is one of many campuses that descended into dangerous, behavioral chaos after employing equity-based “restorative practices” prohibited educators from imparting discipline or suspending students. DEI (particularly equity) must be eliminated to restore standards, improve academics, and equally protect the rights and safety for all.

4. Protect “One Nation, Under God,” in classrooms.

The Pledge of Allegiance must return to all classrooms to honor religious freedom and unify students through America’s foundational history. Why is mentioning God unacceptable while Allah is considered inclusive? Why are the Ten Commandments accused of being offensive while Black Lives Matter’s Guiding Principles are endorsed and posted in countless districts up and down the state?

Last year, Jurupa Unified School District in Southern California wrongfully terminated a high school P.E. teacher because she shared her religious beliefs on personal time. However, she was recently awarded a $360,000 settlement that arguably sets newfound precedent for religious freedom in California and beyond. Protecting religious freedom and America’s Judeo-Christian founding in our schools is inclusive, not hateful.

Students, in California especially, are being cheated from earning a quality education by way of our own state leaders, misguided directives, and anti-American activists. Under Governor Newsom, our schools are harming students, dividing families, and setting us up for a bleak future. Not on our watch. This back-to-school season, parents and educators dedicated to reinstating traditional expectations, standards, and values in our schools can reverse this dangerous trajectory and prevent it from infecting America—with or without our state leadership’s permission.

Sign the petition to bring traditional values back to schools at TeachAmericanValues.com.

Jill Simonian is a California mom, television contributor, and Director of Outreach for PragerU Kids, which provides free, values-based educational content in history, civics, and financial literacy for students K-12. Stay informed and active in your child’s education, subscribe to http://www.prageru.com/StopWokeEducation.