Dawn Collier
Parents and parent groups from across California joined together for CPC’s parental rights rally this week ahead of the Republican presidential primary debate. Nearly 400 people waved homemade signs and American flags as an inspiring lineup of speakers encouraged families to keep up the fight for parental rights in the Golden State.
The Simi Valley rally was held across the street from the Ronald Regan Presidential Library the evening before the GOP debate to let the candidates know that parents’ rights is a priority issue for California voters.
“We’re winning,” said Lance Christensen, Vice President of Education Policy and Government Affairs at California Policy Center, who emceed Tuesday’s rally along with Jennifer Van Laar, managing editor of RedState. “Parents’ rights and parental notification policies were front and center at the GOP debate. We’re grateful to all the families and speakers who came out to make sure their voices were heard by those who want to represent our country.”
During a 10-minute segment on education issues during the debate, moderator Dana Perino zeroed in on parental notification policies.
“This is an issue that many people in America really are concerned about, worried about, about parents and notification in schools,” Perino said.
The candidate responses did not disappoint. Here’s a roundup of some of the highlights from the debate:
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley: “We need complete transparency in the classroom. No parent should ever wonder what’s being said or taught to their child in the classroom.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: “Our country’s education system is in decline because it’s focused on indoctrination, denying parents’ rights. Florida represents the revival of American education … We didn’t just talk about universal school choice, we enacted universal school choice. We didn’t just talk about Parents’ Bill of Rights, we enacted the Parents’ Bill of Rights.”
Entreprenuer Vivek Ramaswamy: “Parents have the right to know … The hypocrisy of this is … the very people who say that this increases the risk of suicide are also the ones saying that parents don’t have the right to know about that increased risk of suicide. And I’m sorry, it is not compassionate to affirm a kid’s confusion. That is not compassion, that is cruelty.”
And Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie pulled no punches when explaining who’s to blame for the decline of America’s public schools:
“This public school system is no longer run by the public, it is run by the teachers unions in this country. Randy Weingarten and her crew … are taking the worst of their members and defending them rather than advocating for our kids … A president of the United States has to take on the teachers union.”
The most notable quotable of the evening, however, may go to Gov. Gavin Newsom, for his shocking tone-deaf response following the debate. Newsom dismissed parental notification as a nonissue after a reporter asked, “Why should parents not know that their kids are transitioning at school?”
“It’s a hell of a thing. You’re talking about one percent of the population. Climate change is impacting 100 percent of the population and wasn’t even brought up, and we’re talking about trans issues?
… This is a front and center issue in America? This is one of the greatest distractions … And we’re having a debate about trans issues at the Reagan library?”
Which begs the question: if it’s so inconsequential, why has Newsom been fighting so hard to deny parental rights in the Golden State? Why has he deployed Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to threaten, sue and fine any school district that adopts a parental notification policy, and signed bills to silence parents and school boards?
“It’s unbelievable the governor is trying to minimize the issue on the national stage when his state attorney general and schools chief are playing hardball against California parents,” said Lance Christensen. “What the governor doesn’t seem to realize is the battle to defend parental rights is a nationwide grassroots movement.”
And Californians are leading the charge. Amy Bohn, president of PERK (Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids), which co-hosted this week’s rally with CPC, explained the significance of the California parental rights movement this way:
“We have hope because … people are being inspired … to do something that they didn’t even think was possible. Do you realize what is happening in California is supposedly impossible? We have been told — how many times have we been told — that you can’t do what we’ve been doing here in California? You can’t win in California? … And look at what’s happening in the state that’s supposed to be impossible. In California, we are winning left and right because of you … because of the parents.”
20 speakers joined the rally, representing parent groups from across California, and encouraged parents to keep standing up and speaking out to defend parental rights. The audience of parents, children, grandparents, teachers and grassroots parent advocates was as diverse as the students in California’s public schools — and that’s what has Newsom playing defense.
Jill Simonian, Director of Outreach for PragerU Resources for Educators & Parents (PREP) and PragerU Kids, captured the momentum of California’s parent movement in her remarks:
“Look what has been accomplished. We’ve had parents gather together … we have parents mobilized … parents from [ ] all over the state that [ ] are setting and course correcting our education system straight. And if we can accomplish everything that we’ve accomplished in the last three years, imagine three years from now where we will be.”
Sonja Shaw, board president of the Chino Valley Unified School Board that was the first to pass a parental notification policy in California — and is now being sued by the California AG — closed the rally with this powerful message to parents:
“Do not give up … I see hope because … many people are [ ] saying what can I do? How can I help? … That’s why we’re all here today … We’re coming together regardless of political affiliations, religious affiliations because we’re doing it for our children.
… Our kids are going to learn through this … They’re seeing us fight for them … I’m telling you the biggest lesson is what they’re seeing us do right now.
…They’re counting on us to fight — and guess what? We’re building a rockstar team all over California and eventually it’s going to be so undeniably unstoppable, our kids are going to win.”
Watch part of the inspiring speeches by Amy Bohn, Jill Simonian and Sonja Shaw here.
Watch the Fox 11 Los Angeles news story on the CPC-PERK rally here.
And don’t miss the clips of the candidates’ comments on parents’ rights during the GOP debate here.
