|
Heads up! Our parent watchdogs have scanned the upcoming agenda for Montecito Union Elementary. We found 6 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 10) |
|
District Confirms CASEL Framework for Social-Emotional Learning
Under Strategic Initiative #2, the district explicitly states it is building its ‘Character Plan’ on the ‘Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework of five core competencies.’ This is not a pilot program; it is a district-wide ideological framework that replaces traditional character education with a specific, controversial social engineering model.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM: This is a direct confirmation of a political agenda in the classroom. Email the Board (contact info on district website) and sign up for public comment. Demand to know: ‘Who is training our teachers in the CASEL framework, how much does it cost, and where can parents review all associated classroom materials before they are used with our children?’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Replacing Academics with Social Engineering
|
| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
|
Teacher Training Promotes Progressive ‘Project Zero’ Ideology
The Superintendent’s report includes a teacher’s takeaways from a ‘Project Zero’ professional development conference. The training promotes the idea that ‘children grow into the intellectual life that surrounds them’ and that the goal is to cultivate ‘dispositions’ rather than teach content, a hallmark of progressive ideology that often de-emphasizes core knowledge.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Superintendent. Ask: ‘How much district money was spent on Project Zero training? We expect our schools to focus on proven methods for teaching core academic knowledge, not on cultivating subjective ‘dispositions’.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Activist Teacher Training
|
| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
|
Social-Emotional Learning Embedded in District’s Core Strategy
The agenda is structured around four ‘Strategic Initiatives,’ with ‘Social Emotional Learning’ listed as Initiative #2, on par with ‘Curriculum and Instruction.’ This confirms that SEL is not a supplemental program but a core pillar of the district’s mission, driving policy, partnerships, and classroom activities.
Recommended Action Plan
CHALLENGE THE PREMISE: Contact the Board and ask: ‘When did the board vote to make Social Emotional Learning a core strategic initiative equivalent to academics? Parents expect the district’s primary focus to be academic excellence, not emotional engineering.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Ideology as Core Mission
|
| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
|
Controversial ‘Balanced Literacy’ Reading Curriculum in Use
The district’s list of instructional materials confirms the use of the ‘Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College Columbia University’ for English/Language Arts. This program, created by Lucy Calkins, is a well-known ‘balanced literacy’ curriculum that has been widely criticized by literacy experts for de-emphasizing phonics and failing to effectively teach many children how to read.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK HARD QUESTIONS: Email the Board. Ask: ‘Given the nationwide move back to the Science of Reading, why does our district continue to use the discredited Teachers College Reading and Writing Project curriculum? Our children deserve proven, phonics-based reading instruction.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Weak Reading Instruction
|
| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
|
Vague Outdoor Education Contract on Consent Agenda
The consent agenda includes an ‘Outdoor Education Agreement’ with a vendor named ‘Wilderness Outdoor Leadership Foundation – WOLF.’ The contract was referenced but its text was not included in the provided documents, preventing parental review of the program’s content, which can sometimes include SEL or ideological components.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘WOLF Contract 2627.pdf’ attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policy changes or ideological content. If it does, demand the Board pull it from the consent agenda for a full public discussion.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Vendor Content
|
|
✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
|
| Major Win (LEVEL 9) |
|
District Celebrates Outstanding Academic Achievement
The district presented the results of the 2026 state assessments (CAASPP), which show the highest academic performance in the school’s history. Students achieved 95% proficiency in both English Language Arts and Math, and 89% in Science, with strong results across all grade levels.
How to Lock It In
AMPLIFY THIS WIN: Show up or email the board to thank them for prioritizing academic excellence. Ask them to ‘Please continue to focus on the proven instructional practices that led to these outstanding results.’ This creates a public record of support for core academics.
✅ Why It Matters: Focus on Academics
|
|
|
“We do not co-parent with the government.”
We are Moms, Dads, Grands, Aunts, Uncles, Friends. Moms for Liberty welcomes all that have a desire to stand up for parental rights at all levels of government.
JOIN THE FIGHT
Powered by Sentinel Engine |