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Heads up! Our parent watchdogs have scanned the upcoming agenda for JORDAN PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. We found 27 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 10) |
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Withholding Student Data from Parents
The revised Public Data Requests policy states the district ‘shall withhold data from parents or guardians… upon request by the minor if the responsible authority determines that withholding data would be in the best interest of the minor.’ This policy allows the school to actively conceal information about a child from their parents, severely undermining parental rights and creating a hidden curriculum environment.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM: We need 50 moms at Tuesday’s meeting. Sign up for public comment and email the Board at jpspubliccomment@isd717.org: ‘We do not co-parent with the government. Vote NO on Policy 722 or face a serious recall effort. Parents have a right to ALL data about their minor children.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Your Child’s Privacy
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| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Mandatory Mental Health Screening
The revised Student Discipline Policy allows the district to ‘arrange for a mental health screening for the student at the parent or guardian’s expense’ if a student is removed from school for more than 10 cumulative days. While requiring parental permission, the district’s role in arranging the screening could steer parents towards specific providers or create pressure, expanding school involvement in private family medical decisions.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND PARENTAL CHOICE: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand that any recommendation for mental health screenings explicitly offer a wide range of parental choices for providers, without district endorsement, and ensure no family is pressured or financially burdened by school-initiated referrals.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Parent Financial Burden
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| 🚨 HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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Surveillance via MTSS
The JHS Student Handbook outlines a ‘multi-tiered system of support (MTSS)’ designed to ensure ‘positive social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, and academic outcomes for every student.’ MTSS is a comprehensive framework that often funnels students into various interventions, including mental health screenings and SEL, relying heavily on data collection and potentially leading to student surveillance under broad euphemisms.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND DATA TRANSPARENCY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand to know what specific data is collected, stored, and shared under the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework, and how parents can opt their children out of non-academic interventions.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Your Child’s Privacy
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Restricting Public Comment
The district’s public comment policy limits total time to 30 minutes and 3 minutes per speaker, with broad restrictions on content such as personal attacks or discussing private data. The policy also requires advance submission of a form, specifying the agenda item, and encourages prior contact with district staff, which creates hurdles for parental input. This structure can limit parents’ ability to directly address concerns and can be seen as a gatekeeping mechanism.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand clear, easy processes for public comment that empower parents without unnecessary hurdles or content restrictions.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Reduced Parental Voice
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Undisclosed Vendor Payments
The Consent Agenda includes approval of monthly finance reports, but key details such as specific vendor payments and fund summaries were not extracted or made available for review. This lack of transparency means parents cannot easily scrutinize how district funds are being spent, including potential contracts with controversial vendors or for ideological initiatives.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand that detailed vendor payment registers and fund summaries be fully accessible and searchable online *before* the Board votes on financial reports. INVESTIGATE: Open the VendorPymts-Jul26 file attached in the Official Agenda to confirm whether it contains sensitive financial transactions.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Spending Details
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Restricting Speech on Gender Ideology
The revised Social Media Policy defines ‘offensive terms’ to include those targeting ‘sexual orientation including gender identity and expression,’ which could be used to censor or discipline staff for expressing traditional views or questions on these topics. This broad language may suppress protected speech and promote specific ideologies on social media channels.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND CLARITY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand clear, precise language in the Social Media Policy that protects respectful dialogue on all topics, including parental concerns about gender ideology, without fear of censorship or discipline.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Censored Speech
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Post-Drill Mental Health & Surveillance
The revised Crisis Management Policy mandates post-active shooter drill ‘debriefs’ where students can access ‘mental health services’ and ‘cultural liaisons,’ and requires violence prevention training for students to ‘identify observable warning signs’ in peers. This integrates Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and DEI concepts under the guise of crisis response and trains students in peer surveillance, expanding the school’s role beyond academics.
Recommended Action Plan
OPT-OUT ALERT: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand clear parental opt-out procedures for all mental health services and violence prevention training that encourages peer surveillance following crisis drills.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Ideological Programming
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Ethnic Studies for Core Credit
The revised Graduation Requirements policy allows ‘ethnic studies’ courses to fulfill core academic credits in social studies, language arts, arts, math, or science. This raises concerns that academic rigor and traditional subject matter may be diluted or replaced by ideologically driven content, potentially substituting social engineering for foundational knowledge.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND ACADEMIC RIGOR: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand a detailed curriculum for any ethnic studies courses counting for core credits, ensuring they focus on objective history and critical thinking rather than ideological frameworks.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Diluted Academics
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The Board is asked to review and act on the JMS Student Handbook, but the full text is not provided in the agenda. Handbooks can contain critical policy changes regarding student conduct, parental rights, and curriculum.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the JMS Student Handbook 2026-27 file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policy changes.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Policy Changes
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The Board is asked to review and act on the JES Student Handbook, but the full text is not provided in the agenda. Handbooks can contain critical policy changes regarding student conduct, parental rights, and curriculum.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the JES Student Handbook 2026-27 file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policy changes.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Policy Changes
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The Board is asked to review and act on the Jordan Activities Handbook, but the full text is not provided in the agenda. Activity handbooks can contain important rules regarding student conduct, eligibility, and parental involvement.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the Jordan Activities Handbook 2026-27 file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policy changes.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Policy Changes
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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SEL via WEB Program Donation
The Board is set to accept a $2,030 donation from MVEC for the Jordan Middle School ‘WEB Program.’ While often presented as a peer mentoring initiative, the ‘Where Everyone Belongs’ program typically incorporates Social Emotional Learning (SEL) principles, which can introduce social engineering elements into the school environment under the guise of student support.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and ask for a full curriculum and list of activities for the Jordan Middle School WEB Program to ensure it focuses on academic support and leadership skills without embedding ideological Social Emotional Learning.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Ideological Programming
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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SEL in Discipline & Readmission
The updated Student Discipline Policy integrates ‘social and emotional services,’ ‘school-linked mental health services,’ and ‘social emotional learning’ into nonexclusionary disciplinary practices and student readmission plans. This expands the scope of school discipline beyond academic behavior to include social-emotional interventions, potentially leading to ideological programming without explicit parental consent.
Recommended Action Plan
OPT-OUT ALERT: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand clear parental opt-out provisions for all social emotional learning (SEL) and related mental health services embedded in disciplinary or readmission plans.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Ideological Programming
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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DEI in Vendor Procurement
The revised Procurement Policy requires the district to take ‘affirmative steps to assure that minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, veteran-owned businesses, and labor surplus area firms are considered’ for contracts involving federal awards. This mandates the consideration of vendors based on identity characteristics, reflecting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles in financial decisions and potentially steering funds based on ideology rather than solely on merit.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND MERIT-BASED CONTRACTS: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and insist that all procurement decisions prioritize merit, quality, and value, rather than mandating consideration based on identity characteristics like ‘minority businesses’ or ‘women’s business enterprises.’
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Ideological Vendor Selection
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| ⚠️ NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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SEL in Student Support Programs
The JHS Student Handbook introduces the ‘REACH’ program as an alternative to ‘SAIL,’ explicitly including ‘components of Social and Emotional learning and growth’ to support students beyond academics. This integrates Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into general student support services, potentially expanding school influence into children’s personal development without direct academic relevance or explicit parental consent.
Recommended Action Plan
OPT-OUT ALERT: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) and demand clear parental opt-out forms for all ‘Social and Emotional learning and growth’ components within the REACH program and other student support initiatives.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Ideological Programming
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| 👀 MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The Board is asked to review and act on the JHS Staff Handbook, but the full text is not provided. Staff handbooks can contain guidelines on employee conduct, including professional boundaries, use of social media, and implementation of various policies that affect the school environment and student interactions.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the JHS Staff Handbook 2026-27 file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policies affecting the school climate or parental notification rights.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Staff Policies
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| 👀 MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The Board is asked to review and act on the JMS Staff Handbook, but the full text is not provided. Staff handbooks can contain guidelines on employee conduct, including professional boundaries, use of social media, and implementation of various policies that affect the school environment and student interactions.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the JMS Staff Handbook 2026-2027 file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policies affecting the school climate or parental notification rights.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Staff Policies
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| 👀 MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The Board is asked to review and act on the JES Staff Handbook, but the full text is not provided. Staff handbooks can contain guidelines on employee conduct, including professional boundaries, use of social media, and implementation of various policies that affect the school environment and student interactions.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the JES Staff Handbook 2026-27 file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policies affecting the school climate or parental notification rights.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Staff Policies
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| 👀 MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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SRO Contract — Manual Review Required
The Board is asked to review and act on a School Resource Officer (SRO) Contract for 2026-2029, but the contract details are not provided. While district policy 507.5 sets good boundaries for SROs, the specific contract language must be verified to ensure it upholds these protections and does not expand SRO authority into school discipline or unnecessary student data collection.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the SRO Contract 2026-2029 file attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm it aligns with Policy 507.5 and does not expand police authority over student discipline.
💰 Taxpayer Impact: Undisclosed Contract Terms
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 9) |
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Protects Against Drug Coercion
The revised Student Discipline Policy explicitly prohibits the school administration from using a parent’s refusal to consent to psychotropic drugs or psychiatric evaluation as a reason to prohibit a student from attending class or as a basis for child abuse charges. This is a critical win that protects parental rights regarding medical decisions for their children.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to thank the Board for protecting parental medical rights in Policy 506. Urge them to highlight this protection and use it as a model for neighboring districts.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 9) |
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Parent Opt-Out for Drills
The revised Crisis Management Policy requires the district to provide parents with 24-hour advance notice of active shooter drills and offers a clear option for parents to opt their students out of participation. This policy protects parental rights by allowing families to decide if their children participate in potentially traumatic drills and ensures alternative safety education.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to thank the Board for prioritizing parental consent with advance notice and opt-out for active shooter drills in Policy 806. Share this as a model for neighboring districts.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 9) |
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Tech Vendor Data Transparency
The revised Internet Acceptable Use Policy mandates that the district provide direct annual notice to parents and students about all curriculum, testing, and assessment technology provider contracts that access student educational data. This notice must identify the provider, the data affected, and provide contact information for questions, offering strong transparency for parents.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to commend the Board for Policy 524’s strong protections for student data privacy and parental notification regarding technology vendors. Urge them to champion these measures across other districts.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 9) |
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Prohibits Student Device Monitoring
The revised Internet Acceptable Use Policy prohibits electronic access or monitoring of location-tracking, audio/visual features, or student interactions (like keystrokes/web-browsing) on school-issued devices, with only narrow, necessary exceptions. This is a significant win for student privacy, preventing intrusive surveillance by the school or third-party technology providers.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to express strong support for Policy 524’s robust protections against student device monitoring. This sets a vital precedent for student privacy that other districts should adopt.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 9) |
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Evidence-Based Reading Instruction
The revised Literacy and the READ Act policy mandates evidence-based literacy instruction focusing on phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Crucially, it explicitly rejects the ‘three-cueing system,’ signifying a return to proven, fundamental reading methods. This is a significant win for academic rigor and foundational skills.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to praise the Board for adopting Policy 621, which prioritizes evidence-based literacy instruction and rejects ineffective methods. Advocate for this approach in all grade levels.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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Stronger Employee-Student Boundaries
The revised Employee-Student Relationships policy reinforces professional boundaries, explicitly prohibiting dating students, supplying illegal substances, and ‘grooming.’ It also mandates safeguards like keeping doors open during one-on-one meetings. This policy is a win for student safety and maintains professional conduct.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to thank the Board for strengthening protections against inappropriate employee-student relationships in Policy 423. Advocate for this policy to be widely publicized to all staff and parents.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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Prohibits Federal Grant Lobbying
The revised Procurement Policy explicitly lists ‘Lobbying’ as a forbidden cost that may never be paid with federal funds. This is a win for taxpayers, ensuring that federal grant money cannot be used by the school district to advocate for political agendas at the state or federal level.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to praise the Board for Policy 721’s clear prohibition on using federal funds for lobbying. This ensures tax dollars are spent on education, not political advocacy.
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| Major Win (LEVEL 8) |
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Parental Right to Opt-Out of Tests
The JHS Student Handbook clearly states parents/guardians have the right to opt their students out of state-required standardized assessments and provides information on how to do so. This is a significant win for parental rights, empowering families to make choices about their children’s participation in non-academic data collection.
How to Lock It In
SECURE & AMPLIFY: Contact the District Office (see the Official Agenda link) to thank the Board for clearly stating parental opt-out rights for standardized tests in the JHS Student Handbook. Ensure this information is prominent and easily accessible to all parents.
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