A Philadelphia teacher accidentally set Twitter on fire when he publicly posted his form of admitting to what many parents have long been concerned about—indoctrination in the classroom away from the watchful and protective eyes of parents. He’s worried that parents (especially conservative parents) might “interfere” with what typically happens in his classroom when classes become largely or partly virtual this fall.

Translation:  Parents are a threat to teachers who want to use the classroom to advance political agendas.

See his Twitter posts below:

What this Philadelphia teacher believes about parents is nothing new—he just made the mistake of admitting it publicly on Twitter.

Sadly, American public school classrooms have long been used by the radical left to advance political agendas, particularly when it comes to sex and sexuality, when parents aren’t around.

There are clearly two competing visions for American education today. One vision centers around parental rights and the family. The other is driven by a radical political agenda. Family Policy Alliance will always advocate for family-centered education policy.

That is why we invite you to participate in the first-ever one-day-only virtual “Protecting Children in Education Summit.” Family Policy Alliance will be co-hosting this event with The Heritage Foundation, Alliance Defending Freedom, Family Research Council, and many others.

This event is tomorrow, August 12th, starting at 10:00AM Eastern Time. The event is free, but you do need to register.

REGISTER HERE

We hope to see as many parents and grandparents as possible online at this one-day event!

For families,

Autumn Leva
Vice President, Strategy

Dear Friends,

More than 10,000 people from a wide range of ethnic and religious backgrounds signed our petition to request that families have the right to opt their child out of any lesson or material that violates their religious or moral beliefs regarding sex, sexuality, or gender identity. The English and Spanish petitions were delivered to the pro-family primary sponsors of the soon-to-be-introduced opt-out bill and to the NJ Commissioner of Education.  It will be delivered to the entire Legislature and Governor Phil Murphy later this month.

We now move to the next phase of mobilization – visiting legislators in each district to share with them the concerns of parents. Are you willing to join others in your legislative district in attending these appointments? 

We have legislative captains in most districts that are scheduling these urgent meetings throughout August and September. We need you to join them!

Legislators recognize that any constituent who is willing attend a meeting represents thousands of others in their district who hold similar views.  In other words, ten people attending a meeting could represent 10,000 voters in that district. Your presence can make the difference!

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It will take an organized and persistent effort to convince NJ Senate and Assembly members to hear our bill giving parents the right to opt their child out of lessons that violate their religious beliefs regarding sex, sexuality and gender identity.

Sincerely,

Shawn Hyland
Director of Advocacy

The coronavirus disrupted routine legislative activity in Trenton over the past three months.  Though many virus restrictions have now been lifted, the statehouse continues to prohibit visitors and public testimony. The legislature convenes committee hearings on pending bills through Zoom meeting technology. Yet, one thing that has not changed in the policy making process in NJ is the familiar assault on parental rights, particularly in the realm of education and health.

Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey believes parents are the primary educators and caregivers of their children. Though the state has an interest in protecting and tracking the health of students, their recent attempt to approve Assembly Bill 970 out of the Health Committee was troubling.

A970 mandates mental health screenings of all NJ public school students in seventh through twelfth grade without the consent or notification of the student’s parents at all prior to the screening and in only limited circumstances after the screening. A failure to notify and seek the approval of parents for any physical or mental health screening of their child violates parental rights and violates current state education law (N.J. Stat. 18A:36-34). We must not allow state officials to supersede the rights of parents in making decisions regarding the health care of their children.

I contacted the primary sponsor of this bill, Assemblyman Conoway (D), to share our concerns about the absence of parental consent in the proposed law. In response to the concerns of parents across the state new language was proposed that required the school district to obtain a written consent from the parent or guardian at the beginning of the school year prior to any mental health screening. We applaud this improved language. However, during my public testimony, I reminded the legislature that parental rights should not be an afterthought in drafting legislation. Parental rights are constitutionally protected rights! But many of our own state representatives and school staff seemed to have forgotten this.

I was stunned during public testimony when multiple advocacy groups representing principals, administrators, and counselors publicly opposed the addition of language requiring that parents be notified before mental health screenings. These groups insisted that requiring parents to give consent would somehow alter the student’s answers. These education lobbyists advocated for removing you from your child’s healthcare. This is unacceptable.

Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey stood strong and will continue to stand for families and your parental rights. We will not rest until parents regain their God-given rights and responsibilities to raise their children. Would you consider a gift this week to support our efforts in defending the family?

Let’s make NJ better,

Shawn Hyland
Director of Advocacy

Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming believes in the family. If you wonder what it means to “believe in families” you would not be alone. Most people think, “Everyone believes in families, right?” Well. Not so much.

In June, a summit was scheduled Harvard Law School’s Child Advocacy Program and was organized around the topic Homeschooling Summit: Problems, Politics, and Prospects for Reform.

To understand the “problems” to be discussed, one only need to look to the article submitted to the Arizona Law Review by Professor Elizabeth Bartholet the faculty director of Harvard Law School’s Child Advocacy Program. In the article, Professor Bartholet recommends a “presumptive ban” on homeschooling. Her reasoning is found in the description of the article where it states, “Many homeschool because they want to isolate their children from ideas and values central to our democracy, determined to keep their children from exposure to views that might enable autonomous choice about their future lives. Many promote racial segregation and female subservience. Many question science. Abusive parents can keep their children at home free from the risk that teachers will report them to child protection services.”

In summary, the main complaint is that morally based education is abuse. With little evidence and in spite of overwhelming success stories, the article states, “Child abuse and neglect characterize a significant subset of homeschooling families.”

After rounding out this vitriol, the article closes by attacking private schools claiming they lack regulation and indoctrinate children. The irony is that many parents who place their children in Christian schools do so precisely because of growing concerns with the radical leftist indoctrination their children were exposed to in the public-school system. Professor Bartholet must have forgotten every parent has the fundamental right to provide their child with an education that respect their religious and moral beliefs.

Standing for families means standing for family values in education. Moms and dads know their children best and care more for their intellectual growth than anyone else on earth. That’s why parents are best at tailoring their child’s educational opportunities to meet their child’s unique needs. To claim the alternative is to claim that large governmental bureaucracies will always do it better. But the facts show America’s public education system is increasingly driven by ideology at the expense of teaching the classic subjects that once made American education a beacon to the world. School choice is proven to improve academic outcomes for our children while also saving taxpayers money. For these reasons it is even more important Wyoming families have the ability to choose excellent educational opportunities for their children to excel.

While homeschools are growing in Wyoming, there is much work to be done to encourage the growth of charter schools and private schools across the state so more families can benefit. Family Policy Alliance of Wyoming® will continue to stand with parents, even if Harvard is against them.

For families,

Nathan Winters
Executive Director

The current transgender movement reminds me of a children’s story you might be familiar with: “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” It’s a short tale by Hans Christian Andersen about two fraudulent “weavers” who promise a vain Emperor a special new suit of clothes to be worn in a parade. They say the clothes will be invisible to those who are stupid, incompetent, or unfit for their positions. In reality, the weavers make no clothes at all, but instead make everyone believe the clothes are simply invisible to them.

The emperor leads the parade before his subjects in his new “clothes,” which are no clothes at all. No one dares to say they don’t see any suit of clothes on him for fear that they will be seen as stupid or incompetent. Finally, a child cries out, “But he isn’t wearing anything at all!”

Just because someone says or feels that something is true doesn’t mean it is true. Child-like common sense often saves the day.

People who struggle with gender dysphoria often sincerely feel that they were born in the wrong body and need to “transition” to living as the opposite sex, even though we know from science that their X and Y chromosomes are fixed. We should always have compassion for these folks and help them get appropriate treatment.

Some people, however, want to profit from their confusion. Like the weavers in the story, they affirm a lie and call it treatment.

Rhode Island’s Hasbro Children’s Hospital does this. They are dedicated to helping children with gender transitioning with or without parental approval. Their website says…“We give all youth the opportunity to speak to their clinician alone during their visit.  Our clinic welcomes parent involvement, but we also try to encourage our patients to speak for themselves… .” 

AFA Journal carried a great article about this. It was written by Dr. Michelle Cretella, a licensed pediatrician, wife, mom and Executive Director of the American College of Pediatricians and is well worth the read: “Truth Vs. Transgender Insanity.”

There really is absolute truth and it would seem that, like the child in the story, others are beginning to speak out. In 2018, two boys in a Connecticut High School claimed they were girls and ran in the state track meet for girls and took first and second honors. This was unfair to the girls. Boys have certain physiological advantages over girls, such as higher bone density and greater cardiovascular capacity, that make it difficult or impossible for girls to compete. Three Connecticut H.S. track stars, who unjustly lost to the biological boys, have filed a lawsuit against the authorities which allowed this to happen. Christiana Holcomb of Alliance Defending Freedom is representing the CT girls.

More recently, Idaho passed the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. Rep. Barbara Ehardt, herself a former athlete, introduced this bill which keeps biological boys from playing in girls’ sports. Dr. Cretella had a part in the drafting and Blaine Conzatti of Family Policy Alliance of Idaho generated a lot of support to help get it passed. Last week, the ACLU sued the state of Idaho over this bill. You can help this commonsense law stay in place by asking Idaho’s Attorney General to defend the law in court.

As Christians we are called to share the truth in love. While the “weavers” of the world try to profit off the confusion and hurt of those struggling with gender dysphoria, we have an opportunity to be like the child who spoke the truth, and to encourage meaningful help for those who need it.

Sincerely,

Dave Aucoin
Board Chairman – Rhode Island

We’re a little over a third of the way through the 2020 legislative session and have reached the week of session known as turnaround. Turnaround marks the part of session where bills must have made it through the chamber they originated in unless they have been otherwise “blessed” to be exempt from this requirement by leadership. This is where the legislature starts narrowing down what bills it will be considering going forward.

I wanted to take this opportunity to look at some different pro-family bills that may be of an interest to you that are winding their way through our legislature.

We are proud to partner with Americans for Prosperity of Kansas in discussing many of these important issues and their effect on the family at the upcoming Day at the Dome Rally. This rally will be held at the Kansas Capitol on Monday, March 9, 2020 at 10:30. If you are able, I encourage each of you to attend.

Further, we are continuing to work to educate legislators on the impact of Medicaid expansion on forced taxpayer funding of abortion. Without the Value Them Both Amendment, Medicaid will become a funding stream for the abortion industry. We are persisting in our work to ensure that Value Them Both appears on your August ballot, where it has the strongest likelihood of passing to protect both mothers and babies in our state.

Many of your legislators will be back in their districts over the next several weeks. I encourage you to reach out to them and encourage them to fight for life and families in Kansas.

For a Kansas where families thrive,

Brittany Jones. Esq.
Director of Advoacy

I am thrilled to see the robust activism throughout our state, as parents and clergy express their disapproval of the mandated, radical LGBTQ curriculum. This curriculum is an attempt to “reeducate” our children to believe controversial, radical ideology about human sexuality that is probably very different than the teachings of their faith and family morals and values.

The routine baseless charges of hate directed towards parents of religious faith who are seeking to protect their children has been disappointing but expected.

Regardless of the hostile reaction by those who seek to impose their sexual beliefs on our children, parents continue to push back and Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey® wants to add awareness to the reasons why we are partnering with parents and diligently advocating for the “Protecting Parental Involvement in Curriculum Act.”

First, I use the term ‘radical’ to describe the curriculum. Why? This LGBT curriculum is intended to alter the world view of our children in support of a political movement based upon the post-modern view of human sexuality. Some of those controversial views promote sex with anyone and everyone as acceptable activity that shouldn’t have consequences and that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is the highest goal of men and women, now apparently boys and girls too. This curriculum, forced into our schools by Garden State Equality, encourages our impressionable students to embrace the sexual revolution while disregarding science, biology, and their family values.

Second, the Scriptures do not define our sexual desires, attractions or temptations, as an identity or category of human diversity – such as male and female or Jew and Gentile. Our desires are something we want, but they do not define us.

People will paraphrase Gen 1:27 “we are all made in the image of God,” to support the LGBTQ political agenda. But they fail to read further where the Bible declares, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The sexual desires of people, though God-given at creation but corrupted by the fall, have led to rampant pornography, sex trafficking, and the MeToo movement.

The good news of the gospel is not that God loves us just the way we are, but that God loves us despite the way we are. This is liberating and reassuring to those who acknowledge their sins and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ. This is a message of hope, not of hate.

Admittedly, our Christ centered beliefs can be rejected by those who maintain a different view of sexuality and humanity. We humbly respect their views to mutually build a peaceful and civil union. However, those who hold a contradictory position of the nature of mankind should also recognize they have no right to impose their post-modern sexual beliefs upon our children.

Therefore, we call on the NJ Legislature to pass the “Protecting Parental Involvement in Curriculum Act.”

Sincerely,

Shawn Hyland
Director of Advocacy


Len Deo
Director of Alliances, Family Policy Alliance
Founder & Past President, New Jersey Family Policy Council

“We who are engaged in the sacred cause of education are entitled to look upon all parents as having given hostages to our cause.”
Horace Mann
Father of the American Public-School System

 

Do you believe your child is a hostage in a larger scale war for the future of our nation? The extreme nature of such an outrageous thought inevitably leads us to dismiss any relative facts that would substantiate its claim. Nonetheless, the term is not mere hyperbole to exaggerate my urgent warning to rescue your children from the full and comprehensive indoctrination that awaits them.

Hostage – One that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence. Miriam-Webster Dictionary

Let me share with you the story of Kelly from Cape May County. Her child was forced to watch a video that elevates same-sex kissing and relationships to normal heterosexual relationships. Kelly contacted the school principal, objecting to the video on the grounds it was not only inappropriate but conflicted with her religious beliefs. The principle emailed Kelly back the following:

“It is appropriate, and it is in line with the curriculum:

 I am sorry, but this is not something that parents can opt their children out of.”

Let me share with you the story of Joanna from Ocean County. She attended a community forum I spoke at this past Friday night covering the LGBT curriculum. Like the story above, her 7th grade child was forced to watch a cartoon video about two boys who identified as LGBTQ. This student was then required to write an essay on why they should be an ally of the LGBTQ agenda. This assignment was part of a choir class!

These two moms contacted our office this past Monday. Unfortunately, their stories are becoming the norm throughout our state.  The radical LGBT agenda is eroding away parental rights and the ability of parents to protect their child in the classroom. This agenda is also eclipsing the religious liberty of families, our most basic and fundamental right as citizens of this country.

Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey® will not stand by and allow our rights to be trampled in the classroom. I am excited to inform you that our national legal team wrote the “Protecting Parental Involvement in Curriculum Act” for the state of NJ. It was introduced this week in Trenton and is now awaiting a committee hearing. Nearly 10,000 people have already signed our petition in support of this legislation! I will explain more in the weeks and months ahead!

Please continue to pray for the students of NJ, the toxic atmosphere of public schools, and the resources for parents who choose to homeschool or send their child to Christian schools.

Our children are worth the fight!

Sincerely,

Shawn Hyland
Director of Advocacy


Len Deo
Director of Alliances, Family Policy Alliance
Founder & Past President, New Jersey Family Policy Council

Here at Family Policy Alliance of North Dakota® we receive news on life and family issues from around the country. Many of you on our email distributions get glimpses into some of these issues, but we certainly can’t fit everything into an email or two. For that reason, let me recap some of the headlines you won’t see highlighted in the media. All the following news stories were published over a two-week period.

If that was the whole story it would be pretty depressing. Thankfully, there is good news as well. Here is a sampling of uplifting stories, some of them due directly to the work of our Family Policy Alliance affiliates in other states.

That balances things out a bit, but the situation can certainly be worrisome. That’s where we come in.

I’ve compared our organization to a guard dog in the past, and it is fitting. A guard dog has two primary functions: alert you to danger and protect you from it. That’s what we do on issues such as life, religious freedom, family values, education, and many more. We do the work combing through articles like those above, finding the more significant ones and alerting you. Then in our second guard dog role, we fight to protect you and your values on these issues here in North Dakota and on Capitol Hill.

To be your guard dog takes resources. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to our organization so that we can alert and protect your deeply held beliefs. [link to c(3) donation page] We want to shorten that list of challenges, above, and lengthen the second list of wins. You can help us do that. Thank you for your prayers and financial support.

Sincerely,

Mark Jorritsma
President and Executive Director

 

Get Ready to Defend Your Rights

The NJ Legislature’s lame duck session lived up to its dreaded hysteria by passing unconstitutional laws in a direct violation of religious liberty. Churches are now forced to use tithe money to fund abortion inducing drugs in their insurance plans. Planned Parenthood received a substantial raise of now 20 million dollars per year in state aid as a gift of gratitude from incumbents who seek their abhorrent endorsement during election season. Even Governor Murphy bragged in his State of the State address about his success in increasing Planned Parenthood’s funding and how he wants to codify in law women have the “right” to abortion to make sure the nation knows (if anyone had any doubts) exactly where New Jersey stands regarding abortion.

Parental rights were also trampled last session as parents were almost completely removed from their child’s medical decisions concerning vaccinations and mental health care. State lawmakers deem themselves as superior authorities in our children’s lives, transcending the parent-child relationship instituted by God.

Fortunately, the removal of religious exemptions for vaccinations succumbed to a brutal defeat on the last day of the legislative session. The solidarity of thousands of parents in opposition to the bill shook the statehouse for weeks leading up to the vote.

Equally troubling was a depression screening bill that was nearly passed out of the Assembly Appropriations committee on Monday, Jan 6 that removed the parental opt-out from the original bill. We contacted the primary bill sponsor in the Assembly and Senate to reinstate the parental rights of New Jerseyeans. In a cooperative spirit, Assemblyman Herb Conoway (D) and Senator Troy Singleton (D) agreed to amend the bill to include a parental opt-in. We are thankful for their understanding of our position.

However, this constant effort to assault parental rights in NJ is becoming repetitive, if not coordinated, by our state leaders. I must warn you to get ready for more debate and more defiance from our legislators over the next two years. They will attempt to strip away your role and responsibility as parents to incrementally create a culture of allegiance belonging to the state and not the family. The Marxist worldview of statism believes the State is supreme to the individual. This unbiblical view must be rejected by the people of NJ!

I want to reassure you that Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey® will be advocating for you as the person responsible for your child. Your child does not belong to the state. Furthermore, your rights do not come from the state. We will not allow big government to disrupt the family structure in their historical failed attempt to change society. Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey is uniquely structed with our national team to advance biblical citizenship and successfully engage our legislators. Your prayers and support will help build a New Jersey where God is honored, religious liberty flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished.

A new two-year legislative session commenced this past Tuesday as Governor Phil Murphy held a joint session of the Legislature to give his state of the state address. Now the work begins.

The best is yet to come!


Shawn Hyland
Director of Advocacy


Len Deo
Director of Alliances, Family Policy Alliance
Founder & Past President, New Jersey Family Policy Council