Feb. 18th Board meeting agenda includes layoffs for 104 teachers, counselors, directors, vice principals and 193 classified staff to save $38 million
By Allen D. Payton
According to Danielle Watson, a parent of a child in the Antioch Unified School District, “as of Friday, Feb. 13, the District is allegedly pink-slipping Admin staff and plans to eliminate over 100+ teachers. They are also discussing proposed cuts to Special Education staffing, including classroom aides and support staff.”
As a result, a “Peaceful Protest is planned for Tuesday morning, Feb. 17 at the school district headquarters.
“Nearly one in five AUSD students has an IEP (Individual Education Plan). Parents are asking the Board to re-evaluate cuts and share a public impact analysis prior to finalizing any decisions at the Feb. 18 Board meeting,” she shared. “They are no longer negotiating with Special Education staff.”
Proposed Cuts on Board Meeting Agenda
The Board’s agenda for Wednesday night’s meeting confirms Watson’s concerns showing a total of 297 staff cuts to save almost $38 million in the annual budget.
The cuts are proposed by Superintendent Dr. Darnise Williams and Associate Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Camille Johnson. According to the staff report for the items, “In the event classified – and certificated – services need to be reduced or discontinued due to lack of work and/or lack of funds, the Education Code requires that the Board take action to reduce/eliminate positions and that affected employees be provided written notice no later than March 15. The District will consider bumping rights, retirements, resignations, releases, and other attrition and give notice only to those employees who, according to seniority and Board-adopted tiebreak and competency criteria, are appropriate for layoff.”
“I would like for Dr. Williams to break this barrier of distrust among parents, staff and the broad community,” Watson stated. “This is her opportunity.”
Her greatest concern is about the cuts to special education teachers and para-professionals, and the safety of the students, especially those who have already demonstrated behavioral challenges.
“It’s concerning to think about the risk to teachers they’ll be causing, by forcing them to mitigate situations by themselves,” Watson said.
Several parents have sent emails to the Board and Superintendent. But as of today, Monday, February 16th, no response has been received from anyone, she shared.
The protest begins at 10 A.M. at the AUSD offices, 510 G Street, in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.
Con Fire personnel attend to a Park Middle School student who was struck by a car while walking home in the cross walk of the Lone Tree Way and Putnam Drive intersection, Thursday afternoon, Feb. 12, 2026. Photo courtesy of Ronn Carter, Emergency Spotlight
One near Antioch High, the second near Park Middle
By Allen D. Payton
Traffic accidents injured two minors near two different schools in Antioch Thursday, February 12, 2026. According to Con Fire, a call came in at 7:26 AM about a minor who was struck in front of Antioch High School at 700 W. 18th Street. The second occurred at 2:43 PM in the Lone Tree Way and Putnam Street intersection not far from Park Middle School.
The call for the accident near Antioch High was cleared at 8:56 AM. According to Con Fire PIO Lauren Ono, “we were called for a vehicle accident and transported one person” to a local hospital. Antioch Police Sgt. Rob Green of the Antioch Police Traffic Division, who was not on the scene but in training, today, said the victim “complained of pain and was transported out of precaution.” But he had “no names of involved drivers or pedestrians.”
According to a report by Ronn Carter of the Emergency Spotlight OnScene Team, “No additional details about the circumstances of the collision were immediately released. The driver involved remained at the scene.”
Asked about the incident and if the victim was a boy or girl, for their age and if they’re a student at Antioch High or elsewhere, Police Lt. Mike Mellone responded, “All I know is it was a minor and a vehicle hit the minor, but the injuries aren’t critical.” He said he would ask the officer for additional details.
Source: PulsePoint
SecondCollision
Then Thursday afternoon at 2:47 PM, Carter shared with the Herald, “Another student was just hit at Park Middle School.”
According to Con Fire, the call for that incident came in at 2:43 PM.
About the collision, Carter reported on the Spotlight Facebook page, “a Park Middle School student was struck while crossing Lone Tree Way on her way home from school. The driver involved remained at the scene.”
“The student was transported to a hospital with injuries. The extent of those injuries has not been disclosed,” he added.
The call was cleared at 4:03 PM.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
Female athletes and others listen as speakers share their opinions during the California Family Council press conference before the CIF’s Federated Council meeting last Friday morning, Feb. 6, 2026. Source: Screenshot of video by CA Family Council.
By Greg Burt, Vice President, California Family Council
LONG BEACH, CA — Outside a Long Beach hotel where the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) convened its Federated Council meeting last Friday morning, female athletes stood shoulder to shoulder with parents, advocates, and state lawmakers to deliver a clear and urgent message: girls’ sports are for girls.
The 111-year old CIF, according to Wikipedia, is the governing body for public and private high school sports in California.
The February 6 press conference, organized by California Family Council’s Outreach Director Sophia Lorey, ahead of the CIF meeting, marked a significant moment in California’s ongoing debate over fairness and safety in women’s athletics. For the first time, two members of the California State Assembly publicly joined female athletes to confront CIF leadership over policies that allow males who identify as transgender to compete in girls’ sports and access female locker rooms, policies critics argue violate the original intent of Title IX. (Watch the press conference here…)
But the peaceful gathering also revealed the deep political divide surrounding the issue, as a prominent Democrat legislator representing the Long Beach area publicly criticized the presence of Republican lawmakers and dismissed concerns raised by female athletes.
Athletes Speak: “This Isn’t Fair. This Isn’t Safe.”
At the heart of the press conference were the voices of young women whose athletic careers have been directly impacted by CIF policies.
Reese Hogan, a varsity tri-sport athlete in track and field at Crean Lutheran High School, described the toll of repeatedly competing, and losing, against a male athlete in girls’ events.
“Track is not just something I do. It’s who I am,” Hogan said. “I train to push my limits, to compete fairly, and to earn every achievement through hard work. But over the past two years, that fairness has been taken away from me.”
Hogan detailed five separate competitions, spanning from May 2024 to January 2026, in which she lost to a male athlete competing in the girls’ division. One moment, she said, still stands out.
“At CIF finals, I broke my school record in the triple jump,” Hogan explained. “I jumped 37.2, earning a new personal record and breaking my school record. It was one of the proudest moments of my athletic career. That jump should have earned me first place.” Instead, a male athlete who jumped 4 feet farther placed first.
Hogan said the experience was devastating.
“CIF, why won’t you do anything?” she asked. “You are protecting males competing in women’s sports more than you are protecting the women the sport was created for.”
Hogan warned that allowing males into girls’ sports is not merely unfair, but dangerous.
“There is a reason sports are divided by sex,” she said. “It is not a matter of opinion; it’s a matter of fact.”
Locker Rooms and Lost Privacy
Another athlete, Audrey Vanherweg, a senior and four-year varsity athlete at Arroyo Grande High School, spoke about the consequences of CIF policies beyond the field of play.
Two years ago, Vanherweg said, she began hearing rumors that a boy was using the girls’ locker room. At first, she tried to ignore it. But when she learned that the same male student would also compete in girls’ track and field, the issue became unavoidable.
“I wasn’t going to go into a locker room and change in front of a boy,” Vanherweg said. Especially since he “wasn’t changing himself, but simply just watching all of us girls undress.”
Rather than risk her privacy, Vanherweg made a painful decision.
“I decided to go change in my car,” she said. “I’m more comfortable changing in my own car than in my own school locker room, where boys are welcomed to watch girls undress.”
As a thrower, she explained, competing against males also undermines fairness.
“Boys have a strength advantage,” she said, explaining that boys compete with the heavier implements in track and field competitions. “So, if a boy decides to throw as a girl, he not only has the strength advantage, but also a lighter implement.”
Vanherweg said she is speaking out not just for herself, but for future generations of girls.
“I’m speaking out against CIF policy, not only for myself, but for all other girls, girls who are too afraid to speak out, girls who don’t know what’s going on, and girls who haven’t been born yet,” she said.
Lawmakers Step In
Standing with the athletes were Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez (R–Murrieta) and Assemblyman David Tangipa (R–Fresno), the first time multiple Republican legislators have publicly joined female CIF athletes at such an event.
Assemblywoman Sanchez, author of AB 89, the Protect Girls’ Sports Act, said the rejection of her bill in committee last year did not end the fight.
“Politicians killed the bill, but they didn’t kill this movement,” Sanchez said. “And they didn’t silence these athletes.”
Sanchez emphasized that Title IX was designed to guarantee fairness and opportunity for women.
It was “never meant to be controversial,” she said. “It was meant to guarantee girls a fair shot, a fair race, a fair roster, and a fair opportunity to win.”
She warned that those protections are being eroded across California.
Girls “are losing podium spots, losing championships, losing scholarships… and some are even losing the basic right to privacy and safety in their own locker rooms.” Sanchez said. “That is not equality. That is not progress, and we will not pretend it is.”
Assemblyman Tangipa, a former Division I football player at Fresno State, challenged fellow lawmakers to stop referring to those who want female-only sports as Nazis. He also urged fathers to confront the reality facing young women.
“Why or how is it somehow believed [that it’s] Nazi ideology when you just wanna place to dress freely, and why and how is it Nazi ideology when you want to play in your sport freely?” Tangipa asked. “Why do we ignore safeguards and disregard biology and reality, which is insanity?
He urged fathers to step up.
“There are boys in your daughter’s locker room. There are boys in your daughter’s sports,” he said. “Where are you?”
Tangipa pledged continued action, including potential ballot initiatives, to restore protections for female athletes.
A Democrat Arrives—Then Attacks
In an unexpected development, Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal (D–Long Beach), the Speaker pro Tempore and representative of the district where the CIF meeting was held, appeared near the protestors, but not to support their cause.
Instead, Lowenthal criticized the presence of Republican legislators in his district, accusing them of staging a press conference “about trans kids in sports” without notifying him.
“We all know they don’t actually care about women,” Lowenthal said, adding that an upcoming budget vote funding $90 million for “women’s reproductive health, [abortion]” specifically for Planned Parenthood, would prove his point.
Assemblywoman Sanchez later responded by posting a video of Lowenthal’s remarks on X. (Watch this post here…)
“Respectfully,” Sanchez wrote, “I will stand up to protect girls’ sports in any city, and I’ll always stand with these brave women… No man, especially not you, will ever tell me otherwise.”
Sophia Lorey Challenges CIF
After the press conference, Sophia Lorey, Outreach Director for California Family Council and a former four-year CIF varsity athlete herself, addressed the CIF Federated Council directly, issuing a pointed challenge to its leadership. Lorey rejected the claim that CIF’s hands are tied by state law, arguing that the federation has the authority to act now if it chooses to do so.
“You have a policy in place,” Lorey told the board. “Until you remove the policy that allows males to be in female locker rooms and sports, you can’t say your hands are tied by the state. Remove that policy and stand up for these girls.” Lorey emphasized that female athletes should never have to resort to lawsuits to secure basic protections, adding that CIF leaders have a limited window to act. “Silence is no longer neutrality,” she warned, calling on CIF officials to work with advocates and restore fairness and safety in girls’ sports.
Many of the female athletes also went inside to address CIF leadership directly during the public comment period.
For them, the issue is not partisan.
“This isn’t about politics,” Sanchez said. “It’s about principle.” And as the athletes made clear, they are no longer willing to be silent.
“When you sideline girls,” Sanchez warned CIF leaders, “we will stand up. When you ignore them, we will amplify them. And we will not stop fighting.”
About California Family Council
California Family Council works to advance God’s design for life, family, and liberty through California’s Church, Capitol, and Culture. By advocating for policies that reinforce the sanctity of life, the strength of traditional marriages, and the essential freedoms of religion, CFC is dedicated to preserving California’s moral and social foundation.
824,000 students across 1,970 Golden State schools participate in events and activities to raise awareness of education options
By Lauren Forte, Manager of Communications, National School Choice Awareness Foundation
SACRAMENTO– More than 1,970 California schools will host special events this week—all designed to help parents learn more about the K–12 education options available for their children. The events are planned to coincide with National School Choice Week (schoolchoiceweek.com), which runs from January 25–31, 2026.
Events will include open houses, parent information sessions, award ceremonies, service projects, and skill-building contests—each aimed at celebrating students and teachers while helping families discover the many learning opportunities in their communities. To raise statewide awareness, Oakland Enrolls will host a charter school fair at Lazear Charter School in Oakland (1/31/26), and La Unión de Padres will host a school fair at the Santa Ana Zoo in Santa Ana (1/31/26).
National School Choice Week is organized by the nonprofit National School Choice Awareness Foundation and shines a positive spotlight on the benefits of choice and opportunity in K–12 education.
“California offers some education options, particularly public charter, magnet, and online schools, but barriers like limited open enrollment and restrictions on public charter growth continue to curtail options for families,” said Noelle Delaney, the California-based Chief Operating Officer of the National School Choice Awareness Foundation. “As school choice becomes the new normal across the country, our goal is to make sure California parents have timely, accurate, and jargon-free information—so they can understand their options and feel confident navigating them.”
Parents in the Golden State can select traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online learning, homeschooling and microschooling and mix-and-match learning for their kids.
“California families are actively exploring their education options and looking for learning environments that fit their children’s needs,” said Kimi Kean, CEO of Oakland Enrolls. “We are committed to helping families navigate those choices and feel informed and supported throughout the process.”
To learn more about education options available to families in California, visit the National School Choice Awareness Foundation’s California School Choice website at https://schoolchoiceweek.com/california.
The National School Choice Awareness Foundation (NSCAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We show parents how K–12 school choice can change their children’s lives, and then guide them through the process of finding schools that best meet their children’s needs. Our three charitable programs––National School Choice Week, Navigate School Choice, and Conoce tus Opciones Escolares––raise equal awareness of the public, charter, magnet, private, online, home, and nontraditional education options available for families. We are nonpolitical and do not advocate for or against legislation at any level of government.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent time in Contra Costa County. George Gordon (far left), then-President of the Community College District Board, and an unidentified man, welcomed Dr. King to Contra Costa College in San Pablo in February 1964 for an on-campus speech. Board President Gordon and Dr. King on stage before his speech. (Right) Photos courtesy of Scott Gordon
Deadline: Feb. 1; Awards Celebration: Feb. 26
By Juliet V. Casey, Director of Marketing, Los Medanos College
Los Medanos College (LMC) is pleased to announce its call for nominees, recognizing community civil rights and social justice champions, and students whose activism sets them apart as emerging leaders. Use this form (or visit www.losmedanos.edu/mlk) to submit a nomination. The nomination deadline is February 1, 2026.
Award recipients will be honored at LMC’s 2026 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Celebration at 11 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2026, in the Student Union Conference Center of the Pittsburg Campus, 2700 E. Leland Road.
Award Categories:
Emerging Leadership Award
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Emerging Leadership Award recognizes an LMC student or alumnus who embodies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and, who within the past year, has made a significant difference on the LMC campus or in the local community through advocacy and social justice. Emerging leaders in our community exemplify the principles of Dr. King and affect social change. Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
Visionary Leadership Award
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visionary Leadership Award recognizes a member of the East Contra Costa County community who demonstrates the qualities of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Visionary Leadership Award honors individuals who embody Dr. King’s strengths as a transformational, servant leader. Dr. King inspired others to shape the future articulated in his vision. He focused on the well-being, growth, and empowerment of others and the community he served. Dr. King said, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable … Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
Beloved Community Award
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Beloved Community Award is presented to a local resident who has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to service and who best represents the core values modeled by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Beloved Community Award is inspired by the term popularized by Dr. King – a global vision in which, as noted by The King Center: all people can share in the wealth of the earth; poverty, hunger, and homelessness will not be tolerated; racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood; and love and trust will triumph over fear and hatred. At the heart of the quest for the Beloved Community is agape love, which Dr. King described as “understanding, redeeming goodwill for all” – a love “seeking to preserve and create community.”
According to Martinez resident, Scott Gordon, whose father, George Gordon was President of the Contra Costa Community College Board in 1964, that February, Dr. King visited the county for a speech at Contra Costa College in San Pablo.
About LMC
LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs, support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood.
The City of Antioch is offering an interactive orientation webinar where local, small business owners will learn how to access FREE one-on-one mentorship through Pacific Community Ventures’ Business Advising program.
We’ll walk you through a demo of the platform, highlight key features like the mobile app, and show you how these tools can support your mentorship journey and help grow your business.
Pacific Community Ventures’ BusinessAdvising.org platform connects small business owners across America with free and confidential expert business advising to help them seize opportunities and overcome challenges.
Pacific Community Ventures is a non-profit community investor that unlocks economic opportunity and climate resilience for small business owners and workers. Through access to affordable capital, pro bono business advising, ethical technology and AI, we partner with entrepreneurs to grow, hire, and prosper. For more information visit www.pacificcommunityventures.org.
Historic class-action victory permanently blocks gender secrecy, restores parental rights
“…the federal court found, no such right can constitutionally override the fundamental rights of parents or the protections afforded to teachers under the U.S. Constitution…School boards and administrators must revise their policies immediately to comply…” – California Family Council
By Thomas More Society
San Diego, CA- In a landmark class-action ruling, Thomas More Society achieved a historic victory in Mirabelli, et al. v. Olson, et al., ending California’s gender secrecy policies and restoring transparency and parental involvement in public education. The decision and federal court order issuing a class-wide permanent injunction—issued by U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez just days before Christmas—secures justice not only for teachers Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West who began the lawsuit, but for all parents and teachers harmed by these policies statewide.
Elizabeth and Lori, faithful Christians with decades of teaching experience, loved their jobs and dedicated themselves to helping children thrive in the classroom. Under California’s Parental Exclusion Policies, children had an unqualified right to engage in a social transition to the opposite gender at school—forcing all teachers to use opposite-sex pronouns and a new name—and teachers were required to conceal that gender transition from the child’s parents absent the child’s affirmative consent.
This placed Elizabeth and Lori in an impossible position: lie to parents in violation of their faith and ethics, or risk retaliation and ultimately, their jobs. Believing it violated their sacred duty to protect students’ health, safety, and trust, they turned to Thomas More Society and filed suit. Now, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California has agreed, noting that “California’s education policymakers may be experts on primary and secondary education but they would not receive top grades as students of Constitutional Law.”
“Today’s incredible victory finally, and permanently, ends California’s dangerous and unconstitutional regime of gender secrecy policies in schools,” said Paul M. Jonna, Special Counsel at Thomas More Society and Partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP. “The Court’s comprehensive ruling—granting summary judgment on all claims—protects all California parents, students, and teachers, and it restores sanity and common sense. With this decisive ruling from Judge Benitez, all state and local school officials that mandate gender secrecy policies should cease all enforcement or face severe legal consequences.”
“Elizabeth, Lori, and the parents who stepped forward as class representatives to fight for families everywhere are true heroes,” Jonna added. “Whether facing professional retaliation or protecting their own children, they never wavered in their commitment to faith, family, and the truth. They challenged a system that forced deception and put children at risk. Thanks to their courage, truth and justice prevailed and these unconstitutional policies can now finally be placed in the dustbin of history.”
“We are profoundly grateful for today’s ruling,” said Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori West in a joint statement. “This has been a long and difficult journey, and we are humbled by the support we’ve received along the way. We want to extend our deepest thanks to Thomas More Society and to everyone who stood by us, prayed for us, and encouraged us from the very beginning.”
“We loved our jobs, our students, and the school communities we served,” Mirabelli and West continued. “But we were forced into an impossible position when school officials demanded that we lie to parents—violating not only our faith, but also the trust that must exist between teachers and families. No educator should ever be placed in that situation. This victory is not just ours. It is a win for honesty, transparency, and the fundamental rights of teachers and parents. We are so thankful that this chapter is finally closed and that justice has prevailed.”
“The State knew this was a losing legal battle and tried to pull out every lawyer’s trick in the book to avoid responsibility,” added Jeffrey M. Trissell, Special Counsel at Thomas More Society and attorney at LiMandri & Jonna LLP. “The Court saw right through this blatant gamesmanship. It’s an absurdity that California elected officials went out of their way to deceive parents and punish honest and faithful educators who dared to challenge their twisted political agenda.”
As the case progressed, numerous parents who had been directly harmed by these policies approached Thomas More Society. One family who joined the lawsuit only learned that their child was being addressed by a different name at school after a tragic suicide attempt. Recognizing the sweeping nature of the constitutional violations, the Court certified the lawsuit as a class action, meaning that every California parent and teacher who objects to these policies now receives justice.
“This case exposed a troubling pattern of agenda-driven adults injecting political ideology into schools, undermining trust between educators and parents, and ultimately harming children,” said Peter Breen, Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation at Thomas More Society. “Most reasonable people agree: schools should be about teaching the basics—reading, writing, arithmetic—not confusing students about gender identity. This ruling restores focus to real education and honoring the centuries-long belief that parents alone have the right to direct their child’s moral and religious upbringing, as reaffirmed by the Supreme Court this year.”
The case also revealed the extreme lengths California education officials went to evade responsibility. They misled the court by claiming these policies were no longer enforced, only to be caught red-handed enforcing them in mandatory teacher training a week before the summary judgment hearing on November 17. As a result, the Court’s order specifically directs California to add the following statement “in a prominent place” in that training:
“Parents and guardians have a federal constitutional right to be informed if their public school student child expresses gender incongruence. Teachers and school staff have a federal constitutional right to accurately inform the parent or guardian of their student when the student expresses gender incongruence. These federal constitutional rights are superior to any state or local laws, state or local regulations, or state or local policies to the contrary.”
“Thomas More Society is proud to have represented Elizabeth, Lori, and the anonymous plaintiffs: Teacher Jane Roe, Teacher Jane Boe, the Poe Family and the Doe Family,” said Breen. “They never sought to be the face of this fight, yet their courage has transformed the lives of families and educators not only in California but perhaps the entire country. We will always defend the religious freedom of teachers and families and ensure that parents retain their constitutional right to raise their children in alignment with their families’ values.”
California Family Council Applauds Ruling
In response to the ruling, the California Family Council (CFC) wrote: State Officials Promoted Secrecy – For years, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state leaders have insisted that schools must conceal information about a student’s gender identity or expression from their parents. On the Attorney General’s own website, the state asserts a sweeping individual “right” to conceal gender identity, including from parents:
“You have the right to disclose – or not disclose – your gender identity on your own terms, regardless of your age. Your school, whether public or private, doesn’t have the right to ‘out’ you as LGBTQ+ to anyone without your permission, including your parents.” California DOJ
This statement was widely disseminated and used to justify secrecy policies and trainings across districts.
Yet, as the federal court found, no such right can constitutionally override the fundamental rights of parents or the protections afforded to teachers under the U.S. Constitution.
Greg Burt, CFC Vice President, hailed the ruling as justice finally upheld in the face of longstanding statewide resistance: “This ruling vindicates what parents’ rights advocates have been saying all along. The state told schools they had to keep secrets from moms and dads, and that was never true. A federal judge has now made it unmistakably clear: children do not belong to the government, parents have the right to know what’s happening with their own kids, and teachers should never be forced to lie or stay silent to keep their jobs.”
The Constitutional Holding
Judge Benitez’s ruling is comprehensive and unequivocal. The court held that California’s gender-secrecy regime, as applied in public schools, violates:
Parents’ fundamental rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children
Teachers’ First Amendment rights to free speech and religious exercise
And core constitutional principles protecting family autonomy
According to the court, forcing teachers to actively hide critical information from parents is not a neutral policy but affirmative state interference in the parent-child relationship, something the Constitution forbids.
Impact on Schools and Parents
This decision forces a dramatic policy shift across California’s public education system:
District secrecy policies can no longer be enforced.
Parents and guardians have a federal constitutional right to be informed if their public school student child expresses gender incongruence.
Teachers may now freely disclose to parents when a student expresses gender incongruence or assumes a different gender identity at school.
State officials can no longer legally claim that schools are “required” to conceal such information.
School boards and administrators must revise their policies immediately to comply with the constitutional rights affirmed by the court or risk legal consequences.
According to the organization’s website, “Since 1998, Thomas More Society has steadfastly preserved the rich heritage of American liberty. Our distinguished track record showcases an unwavering commitment to defending your fundamental rights to life, family, and freedom. For decades, we’ve passionately championed the causes of everyday individuals confronting remarkable injustices, from the sidewalks and town squares to the Supreme Court.” For more information visit www.thomasmoresociety.org.
More than 60% of public-school students in grades 2-12 eligible for up to $1,500
By Vanessa Vizard, Vizard Marketing & PR
Sacramento, CA — As the year comes to a close and families begin setting goals for the year ahead, California is reaffirming its commitment to young people through CalKIDS, the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program. Backed by a $2 billion statewide investment for more than five million children, CalKIDS is the largest education-focused asset-building effort in the nation, providing automatic scholarship accounts to millions of California children and students to help pay for college or career training after high school.
As families think about meaningful gifts this holiday season and prepare for the opportunities a new year brings, claiming a CalKIDS Scholarship Account is a simple step with a lasting impact. Eligible children and students can receive between $175 and $1,500 in free scholarship funds, with no application, no essays, and no income verification required. These funds are already set aside for children and students and can be used for qualified higher education expenses, making CalKIDS one of the most accessible scholarships available to California families.
“CalKIDS has been an amazing success, with nearly 1 million scholarship accounts already claimed by California families,” said State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, Chair of the ScholarShare Investment Board, which administers CalKIDS. “As we look ahead to the new year, families across the state still have a tremendous opportunity to claim scholarship dollars already set aside for their children and students, funds that can help lower the cost of college or career training and expand what’s possible for their future.”
More than 60% of public-school students in grades 2 through 12 are eligible for a CalKIDS Scholarship Account worth up to $1,500. When CalKIDS launched in 2022, the program awarded scholarship accounts to students from elementary school to high school, meaning current college students may also be able to claim and use their CalKIDS Scholarship funds today. Awardees can use their funds until age 26.
Additionally, 100% of newborns born on or after July 1, 2022 in California automatically receive a CalKIDS Scholarship Account worth up to $175. This includes an initial scholarship awarded at birth, with additional incentives available when families claim the account and link it to a ScholarShare 529 College Savings Plan where they can continue saving on their own.
CalKIDS Scholarships can be used for tuition and fees, required books and supplies, computer equipment, and other qualified education expenses at accredited institutions nationwide making CalKIDS one of the simplest and most flexible scholarships students can claim this holiday season and in the year ahead.
To date, CalKIDS scholarship funds have been used by nearly 150,000 students towards their academic success at a college or career training program. For one awardee, Bryan a student at California State University, Fullerton, CalKIDS was described as: “A financial ease into pursuing a degree.”
Photo: CalKIDS
How Students and Families Can Claim a CalKIDS Scholarship:
Claiming a CalKIDS Scholarship takes only a few minutes at CalKIDS.org.
For public school students, including those who are now college-aged, families will need the Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), a 10-digit number found on school portals, report cards, or by contacting the public school the student attended during the 2021–22, 2022–23, or 2023–24 academic years.
For children born in California on or after July 1, 2022, families will need the child’s date of birth and the Local Registration Number, a 13-digit number found on the birth certificate.
Once an account is claimed, families can log in at any time to view their scholarship balance, link it to a ScholarShare 529 account, learn how the funds can be used, and request a disbursement once the student is enrolled in higher education or career training.
CalKIDS reflects California’s long-term commitment to expanding opportunity, reducing education costs, and investing early in the success of its young people.
Families are encouraged to check if they have a CalKIDS Scholarship Account available to claim this holiday season by visiting CalKIDS.org.
Photo: CalKIDS
About CalKIDS: The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) is the nation’s largest child development account program, providing scholarships for higher education. Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, and Chaired by State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, the program is designed to promote the pursuit of higher education statewide by empowering families to build assets, nurture savings habits, and raise their educational aspirations. Eligible public school students can receive CalKIDS Scholarships worth up to $1,500 and every child born in California on or after July 1, 2022, is awarded a CalKIDS Scholarship worth up to $175, ensuring more families have the resources needed to support their children’s education. To learn more, visit CalKIDS.org.
