As a parental rights advocate in New Hampshire, I talk to parents frequently about the challenges their children face in our public schools. I offer them advice on how to navigate some of those challenges, like opting out of objectionable materials assigned to their children.
Parents should be replacing poor-quality assignments with quality academic content. If the school administrators are going to dumb down your child’s public education, sometimes it’s better to opt out of these assignments and replace them with something better. Parents are doing that right now in New Hampshire by sending school administrators a request to opt out of what they find objectionable. Parents are then purchasing workbooks and literature that elevate their child’s learning.
Many parents have replaced the dumbed-down Common Core math with traditional math. SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) time is being spent in the library, where they are working with math and grammar workbooks used by home-schooling parents. Many children are still behind in these subjects due to the COVID shutdowns, so parents know the time wasted on SEL and other subjects could be better-used learning math facts and grammar skills. They are replacing trashy books with classical literature that expands their vocabulary and instills characteristics like courage and honesty.
For some of our children who are challenged in other ways, it’s even more important that parents monitor what they are doing in school. When parents discovered that pornographic content was found on their child’s library App (SORA) that was provided by their school and downloaded on their Chromebooks, they became concerned. But what we are finding now is that children with Autism have also had access to this graphic content.
Some parents are now reporting that their children are using inappropriate language at home and at school. Some of what they have learned appears to be coming from their time in school. When children have problems filtering what they say or have outbursts that come from some of the disabilities they have, it makes it even more challenging for parents.
Many of these parents are careful not to expose their children to adult content at home. They know that stopping bad behavior can be extremely difficult, especially when they send their children to school. If an autistic child is exposed to sexual or pornographic content, this can exacerbate problems at home and in the school.
All parents need to notify the school district that their children should not be exposed to any graphic or pornographic books or materials in school. But this is even more important for parents whose children struggle with their ability to control their behavior.
Public school administrators and teachers are not helping any children by providing this kind of content to children. In fact, stopitnow.org describes giving children pornographic content as sexual abuse of a child. No one in the public schools seems to have the guts to put an end to this abuse. Until we have honorable people in charge of our schools, it’s best to notify the school Superintendent, Principal, teachers, and school board members that your child is not to access any of this content while they are attending school. It can be used as a way to force your child out of public school by punishing a child who has limited means to control their behavior.
