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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for East Whittier City Elementary. We found 7 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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District Partners with Counseling Agency for Middle Schoolers
The district is contracting with Helpline Youth Counseling to provide ‘school-based substance abuse counseling services’ to students 12 and older (Item I.3, Agreement 111). The agreement does not specify the parental notification or consent policy for these services, raising questions about whether children could receive counseling without their parents’ knowledge.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK FIRST: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Consent Item I.3, Agreement 111 with Helpline Youth Counseling, what is the specific parental notification and consent policy before a student receives services? Will parents be present for these sessions? Please publish the consent policy before this vote.’
💰 Impact: Parental Consent Rights
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| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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District Spending $449,169 on Chromebooks for 6th Graders
The district plans to spend nearly half a million dollars on new Chromebooks for all 6th graders (Item I.4, PO 27*1053). The board has not presented evidence that more screen time improves academic outcomes, or detailed how much daily instructional time with teachers and peers will be replaced by time on these devices.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Consent Item I.4, PO 27*1053, before spending $449k on Chromebooks, please publish the independent data proving these devices improve academic achievement and state how many hours of daily screen time this will add for a typical 6th grader. Pull this item for a full discussion.’
💰 Impact: $449,169.30
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Board Approves Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Trip to D.C.
The board is spending $4,229 to send a board member to Washington, D.C., for the ‘Coast2Coast Federal Advocacy Trip’ hosted by the California School Boards Association (CSBA). This uses public funds for political lobbying on federal education policy, which often runs counter to parental rights.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Consent Item I.8, SDR A0275, I object to my tax dollars being used for political lobbying in Washington D.C. Vote NO on this expenditure and focus our district’s resources on local students and academics.’
💰 Impact: $4,229
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District to Train Staff in “Restorative Practices”
The district is paying the Orange County Dept. of Education for training in ‘Restorative Practices,’ a social-emotional program that often replaces traditional discipline with group therapy sessions (Item I.3, Agreement 112). This can lead to reduced consequences for misbehavior and pressure on victims to ‘reconcile’ with offenders, undermining classroom safety.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Consent Item I.3, Agreement 112, I demand this item be pulled for a separate vote. Parents deserve to know what ‘Restorative Practices’ means for student discipline and safety before you approve this training.’
💰 Impact: $1,850
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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District Buys $52k “Word Origins” Vocabulary Program
The district is purchasing a $52,657 vocabulary software called ‘Word Origins’ from Ventris Learning, LLC (Item I.4, PO 27*0862). As with any EdTech product, parents have a right to see the independent, non-vendor-funded evidence that this program produces real academic gains before it’s put in front of their children.
Recommended Action Plan
OPT-OUT ALERT: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Consent Item I.4, PO 27*0862, what is the proven academic benefit of the Ventris Learning software, and how much screen time will it add? Please provide the parental opt-out form for this program before the vote.’
💰 Impact: $52,657.51
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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WIN: District Adds College Credit Courses for Middle Schoolers
The board is approving a dual enrollment program with Rio Hondo Community College (Item I.3, Agreement 114). This will give eligible middle school students a fantastic opportunity to take college-level courses and earn college credit, creating a pathway for academic acceleration.
How to Lock It In
AMPLIFY THIS WIN: Show up or email the Board (contact info on district website) to thank them for approving Consent Item I.3, Agreement 114. Publicly supporting academic excellence like the dual enrollment program makes it harder to cut these programs later.
✅ Why It Matters: Academic Excellence
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| Major Win (LEVEL 7) |
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WIN: District Invests in Science-of-Reading Literacy Training
The district is sending a special education teacher for training in the Orton-Gillingham method, a highly respected, phonics-based approach to teaching reading (Item I.8, SDR A0272). This is a major win for students and a sign the district is prioritizing proven, evidence-based instruction over failed ‘whole language’ fads.
How to Lock It In
SECURE THIS WIN: Email the Board (contact info on district website) to praise this investment in Orton-Gillingham training (Consent Item I.8, SDR A0272). Ask them to expand this science-of-reading training to all K-3 teachers to ensure every child learns to read.
✅ Why It Matters: Focus on Academics
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“We do not co-parent with the government.”
Moms for Liberty is the nation’s largest grassroots organization fighting for parental rights. Through national members and local chapters, our work ensures parents, not the government or radical activists, make the decisions concerning the upbringing and education of their children.
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