By Michael Hernandez
Editor’s Note: Information for this article was compiled from website posts made by California Family Council Director of Capitol Engagement Greg Burt.
SACRAMENTO—Informed Parents of California (IPOC)—an Orange County parent group founded by Aileen Blachowski and Stephanie Yates is now serving as a statewide resource to inform parents on critical issues that impact “our children’s educational well-being and the role of parents in education.”
“We are taking our passion for protecting our children to Sacramento to make our voices heard,” said Stephanie Yates, co-founder of Informed Parents of California. “We will not allow our kids to be sexualized in the classroom. We will not allow our parental rights to be stripped from us. We will not allow our children’s hearts and minds to be stolen and used for political social experiments and radical activist agendas. We will stop at nothing to protect our kids.”
“They are using our kids and our tax dollars to undermine families, parental authority, cultural values, and the very principles this nation was founded upon,” said Informed Parents of California spokesperson Aileen Blachowski. “California parents will not tolerate the state’s attempt to use our children as pawns to push their extreme and damaging agenda.”
IPOC has taken its parent activism to policy makers in Sacramento and has organized several rallies on the capitol steps this year; including on:
- January 25 (50 participants at a one-hour rally followed by testimony before the California Department of Education Instructional Quality Commission);
- February 19 SeXXX-Ed-Sit-Out (organized in 40 California school districts with an estimated 3,000 students pulled out of school);
- March 28 (500 participants with Phil Cowan, host of The Answer KTKZ 1380 AM followed by public comments at the California Department of Education Instructional Quality Commission meeting. The meeting was taped by the Senate Republican communication team and attended by Senate Caucus Chair Brian Jones, R-District 38—Santee and State Senator Mike Morrell, R-District 23—Rancho Cucamonga);
- May 8 (300 participants protested four graphic textbooks that the new health framework promoted and endorsed. This was followed by attendance at a California Department of Education hearing with coverage on the sex education guidelines on 200 television stations nationwide including all the nation’s major newspapers); and
- May 17 SeXXX-Ed-Sit-Out protest.
IPOC’s Facebook page which was created a year ago now has 15,000 members.
To access go to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/informedparentscalifornia. Stephanie Yates said at the March 28th rally: “God will give you the courage for what you need to do to protect your children. I don’t care if they think I’m crazy. I don’t care if they get mad, and I lose friends and I lose family over this, because it is about our kids.”
“Department of Education, hear this loud and clear,” said Aileen Blachowski, “The parents of California will not submit their children to indoctrination…If you will not listen to us…We will pull our kids from yours schools.”
IPOC has launched “Operation Suspend Re-Enrollment” which is encouraging parents to send letters telling school district officials not to expect their children for next school year, if they will not listen, and act on parent curriculum concerns.
California State Senator Mike Morrell has authored SB673 which amends the California Healthy Youth Act (AB329), the state’s comprehensive sex education law. SB673 would require any sex education lessons for elementary school kids be put online for parents to see. It also requires elementary children to get a signature from parents to participate. Currently, the law only requires schools to provide an opt-out for sex education lessons, something a parent must initiate.
The Informed Parents of California website is promoting California State Senator Mike Morrell’s SB673 which they say “makes instructional materials more transparent and provides equitable access for parents.” The website states that 39,492 voters have signed a petition asking lawmakers to help pass SB673 which is sponsored by California State Senator Jim Nielsen (R-4th District), Ling Ling Chang (R-29th District), Patricia Bates (R-36th District), Shannon Grove (R-34th District), Jeff Stone (R-28th District), and Assemblymember James Gallagher (R-3rd District).
Editor’s Note: Godspeak Calvary, 320 Via Las Brisas, Newbury Park is hosting a free conference on the “Christian Alternatives to Public Schools” on Saturday, Aug. 10th from 9 am. to 12 noon.
Michael Hernandez, Co-Founder of the Citizens Journal—Ventura County’s online news service, founder of History Makers International—a community nonprofit serving youth and families in Ventura County, is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor. He has worked 25 years as a middle school teacher. Mr. Hernandez can be contacted by email at [email protected].
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