Our Mission
Protect and Advocate for Parents' Rights to Guide the Education of Their Children.

October Newsletter, 2015
 
Now that a new school year is underway, Parents' Rights in Education is hearing from parents, guardians and students from around the state that are tuning into classroom lessons, content, programs and recommended services which infringe on their legal rights and personal values. Oregonians are saying, "if it's too controversial...keep it out of the public schools and off of school property". 

Here are a few recent examples: a father finds out his daughter is presented information about "mutual masturbation" in her class; a student picks up a flyer off of the floor of his school hallway that encouraged students to join the "REVolution"; parents and guardians voice their concerns about explicit and intrusive K-12 Sex Ed curriculum; a grandfather listens to his grandson describe a four-month "White Privilege" Unit which did not follow the school district's own "controversial subjects policy"; at the eleventh-hour, parents learn that a School-Based Health Clinic is being proposed and they organize and present viable "off campus" options that would still serve the needs of the community while protecting parents' right to be the primary healthcare decision-makers of their minor children.
 
Keep up the great work and remember Parents' Rights in Education is here to help!

 

Oregon News

What is the 'Healthy Teen Survey' and Why You Should Care

The  Healthy Teen Survey is a survey administered by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to 8th and 11the graders in most school districts across the state every other year.  The OHA claims there is a strong relationship between health and learning...an undeniable fact.  The mantra "healthy kids learn better" is used by the OHA and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to justify some extremely invasive programs.  The survey is one of the vehicles used to support and rationalize interference in what used to be designated as "private family issues".

The survey contains 165 intrusive questions for 11th graders and 149 questions for 8th graders.   These questions include: frequency of sexual intercourse, gender identity (gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, something else), school-based health centers, parental reactions, suicide, how often the student eats carrots and potatoes in a week, with whom has the student had sexual contact (males; females; females and males), how often the student visits a convenience store in a week, does the student have unmet physical, emotional or mental needs, does the student use prescription drugs (Oxycotin, Percocet, Vicodin, Codeine, Adderall, Ritalin or Xanax) without a doctor's prescription, does the student have a cavity, does the student receive free or reduced lunch, what type of vehicle does the student's family drive, what is your zip code and more. Apparently, all of these questions are deemed necessary and developmentally appropriate by the OHA and ODE.


In Loco Parentis and the Public School

Your parental rights don't end when you drop your child off at school. 

In Loco Parentis is Latin meaning "in place of a parent." When we send our children off to school we are invoking this doctrine. We are giving temporary parental authority of our children to the school.  The  In Loco Parentis doctrine does not relate to the unfitness of a parent, nor does it include any power to overrule a parent.  In other words, parents are delegating their authority as a parent to the school while the child is in school.  It does not mean the school has the liberty to infringe on the legal rights of parents while the child is in their care.
  • Have some Oregon public schools ignored the meaning of this doctrine to infringe on the rights of parents?   
  • Are outside organizations such as Planned Parenthood being given access to our children while at school? Are they acting in place of the parent? 
  • Is the School-Based Health Center making health care decisions for children without the knowledge or consent of their parent(s)? 
 

           GERVAIS UPDATE



On September 17th the Gervais school board, in a 4 to 1 vote, passed the controversial Oregon Department of Education's recommended sex education curriculum and therefore considered themselves in compliance with Oregon's required health education standards.   

Some of the topics the adopted curriculum covers:  mutual masturbation between teens; how to make dental dams so teens can engage in oral sex; recognize the difference between a circumcised penis and an uncircumcised penis; learn the steps for effective condom use..."put the condom on when the penis is erect and before any contact between the penis and the partner's genitals, mouth or anus".  Students may learn and be asked to define the following terms:  gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, transgender, cisgender and the acronym LBGT.  They may also learn myths and facts in the FLASH sex ed material.  For example: "Many people, especially many young women, haven't yet figured out how to have an orgasm - what kinds of fantasy and what kinds of touching work for them...They may need direct touching of their clitoris to be able to have orgasms" (Myth & Fact Reference Cards 9-12).


The Importance of School Board Elections

There are many school boards and school districts to look to as examples of integrity, honesty and character.  School Boards who genuinely put the concerns of parents and students first rather than their own personal agenda or the agenda of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).  

The Astoria School Board voted to deny a school-based health center (SBHC) in their high school given the concerns of parents.  Parents believed the entire process was founded in deceit by proponents of a SBHC.  One of their concerns  was the loss of parental and community control and involvement.  Other questions regarding accountability, quality assurance, and the real cost to taxpayers were never addressed.


National News

 


 


 


  

Did they fire the bus driver?

Quick Hits





Take The Quiz, Parents' Rights Matter! 
We recommend visiting ParentsRights.org website and click on "Where Do I Start" and take The Quiz.

While on this page, we recommend reading   the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and learn how the United Nations plans to ultimately impact your parental rights.

Don't Forget: The U.S. Constitution, 14th Amend, Due Process, US Code and CFRs, ORS & OAR, and even some of your local school district policies support your parental rights!

Call to Action 

1.  Find out if your school districts administers the Healthy Teen Survey.

2.  If they do, ask the board to read the questions out loud at a school board meeting. 

3.  Expect the school board to justify the science behind asking such invasive questions. 

Need Support? 

Parents' Rights in Education has been receiving a growing number of requests from communities around the state to speak and provide information and insights into how to best protect their parental rights and the rights of their children.

 

Please feel free to contact us, we are here to help you!