by Joseph Yang | Sep 25, 2023 | Opinion
By Joseph Yang |
Earlier this year on July 20th, a small group of moms and residents gathered together for the first time at the Chandler City Council meeting. They simply wanted to share their thoughts on some of the books in the Chandler Public Library system that they found while at the library with their kids.
One of the books brought by Chandler Unified School District candidate Carley Morgan was It’s Perfectly Normal, a picture book labeled “Juvenile”—meaning for kids. The book contains images of nude men, women, and children. It also explains in detail how sex happens including talking about “When the penis enters the vagina, the wall to the vagina stretches open and around the penis.” Carley’s son Riley, a 13-year-old also spoke about how no one wants to have these “awkward” conversations with their children before they are ready to. Parenting should always be in the hands of the parents and not the library.
Andrew Adams, the Chair of Republican Legislative District 14, also spoke saying his 1-year-old daughter was with him and if someone showed his daughter the images in these books, they would be dealing with him “personally.”
On the night of September 19, 2023, many concerned citizens, parents, and residents gathered together again to express their dismay for the books that were found in the juvenile section of the libraries.
Some of the same citizens at the previous council meeting came out yet again—this time to speak to a seven-person board appointed by the Mayor and Council called the Library Board. The President of the Board, Beth Brizel, a former City Council candidate, said “I have taken notes and will definitely discuss with library staff on the possibility of this.”
The citizens who spoke were loud and clear while talking to this board. The first speaker Aubrey Savela, who is with Turning Point Action, read from the book What’s Going on Down There? On page 116 of that book, what is especially concerning is a question that is prompted by a young man, “If I get my girlfriend pregnant can I make her get an abortion even if she doesn’t want to?” Should public libraries really be used to promote getting an abortion in such a way to innocent and unsuspecting minors?
Another speaker, Jenine Cortes, who is a mother of four and is also running to serve the Chandler Unified School District board, told the board that she used to “live in the library” with her kids when her oldest child was younger. But now, she fears bringing her children to the library because they might go to the wrong shelf and find pornographic materials.
These books not only contain graphic words, but they also include graphic illustrations: pictures of women bending over to see themselves in the mirror, a penis entering the anus, and many other graphic images that have no place in the juvenile section of a public library!
Carley and Andrew also discussed how they both sat down with the Library Manager named Rachele. They shared that they asked Rachele what kind of content filters there are on the library’s computers in the youth section. According to Carley and Andrew, Rachele replied that “there are none” because the library does not want to “restrict access of their patrons.” But this is highly concerning, especially given the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case United States v. American Library Association, which stated that libraries that implement software for content filtration is NOT a violation of the Constitution.
To wrap up the night, the Library Board watched footage of the City Council meeting which drove the parents’ points home again! Now, the board needs to make the right decision before its next meeting in November to ensure that kids don’t get unfettered access to pornography in public libraries.
Joseph Yang is a young community leader and grassroots activist. He currently runs a community organization and serves on the Chandler Police Review Panel. Joseph is the Founder of the East Valley Young Republicans and current assistant state advisor for the TeenAge Republicans. He hosts a show called “The Conservative Seoul Show” that you can find here.
by Corinne Murdock | May 8, 2023 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
State Rep. Jennifer Pawlik (D-LD13) announced on Tuesday that she won’t be seeking re-election. This means the district may experience a fresh slate of leadership come November 2024.
Pawlik stated that she needed to go in a different direction with her political career. Pawlik has also worked as a Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) teacher.
“It’s time to take my leadership and service in a new direction and to open the door for new candidates to run in this district,” said Pawlik.
District 13 incorporates Chandler, Sun Lakes, and Gilbert. Pawlik was elected to the legislature in 2019, defeating the mother of State Sen. J.D. Mesnard (D-LD13) for the seat.
That same district recently experienced another, different loss with the expulsion of their other state representative, Liz Harris. The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is looking for a replacement for Harris.
The seat will likely be one of the more competitive ones heading into the 2024 election, a significant turning point for a closely-divided legislature where Republicans hold a bare majority. Pawlik was the first Democrat elected to the district.
Less than 24 hours after Pawlik’s announcement, former Republican state representative Jeff Weninger filed a statement of interest for reclaiming the seat. Another listed as running for a District 17 seat is Julie Willoughby, another Republican who filed last month and ran last year.
Pawlik earned 35 percent of the vote (47,166 votes); Harris, 32 percent (43,829); and Willoughby 32 percent as well (43,559). Pawlik ran uncontested in the Democratic primary last year.
Prior to Pawlik, the district was held by former Republican legislator Joanne Osborne and current Republican State Rep. Tim Dunn (R-LD25).
During her time in the legislature, Pawlik has only had one bill codified: HB2639 last year, declaring May to be Asian American/Pacific Islander Month.
Pawlik co-sponsored 14 bills that were codified, mainly relating to mental health and racial equity efforts. The co-sponsored bills signed into law were: HB2570 in 2019, establishing a study committee on murdered indigenous women; HB2646 in 2019, allowing Arizona Commerce Authority to review Rural E-Connectivity Pilot Program applicants; HB2672 in 2019, cracking down on “party house” short-term rentals; SB1468 in 2019, requiring the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Administration to make suicide awareness and prevention training available and requiring educators to include suicide awareness and prevention training; SB1446 in 2020, requiring student ID cards to include contact information for suicide prevention resources, crisis centers, or emotional support services; SB1445 in 2020, requiring instruction on suicide awareness and prevention to be included in school counselor and social worker training programs; HB2098 in 2021, establishing reporting requirements for law enforcement agencies receiving reports of missing, kidnapped, or runaway children; HB2241 in 2021, requiring information about the Holocaust and other genocides to be taught at least twice between grades 7 and 12; HB2705 in 2021, allowing students belonging to a Native American tribe to wear their traditional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance at a graduation ceremony; HB2787 in 2021, modifying criteria for an agency determination of whether a person’s criminal record disqualifies a person for a license, permit, certificate, or other state recognition; SB1097 in 2021, allowing students absent for experiencing behavioral or mental health issues to have an excused absence; SB1376 in 2021, includes mental health instruction in the health education course of study and competency requirements adopted by the State Board of Education; HB2083 in 2022, requiring the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to cover the costs of up to 10 annual program hours of diabetes self-management training if prescribed by a primary care physician; and HB2309 in 2022, requiring a police officer to read juveniles their Miranda rights prior to questioning them in temporary custody.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Charlotte Lawrence | Jan 11, 2023 | Opinion
By Charlotte Lawrence |
During the 2021-22 school year, I’d been hearing about parents finding books and materials on gender identity at their children’s school. I thought that would never happen at my kids’ school. We live in Chandler, part of Chandler Unified School District (CUSD80). Our district ranks an A+, as well as our school, Carlson Elementary. Andy Morgan, the principal, was fairly new in his role, and I had always thought he did a good job.
However, my mommy instinct kicked in, so I decided to have a talk with my son. Eli is 11 years old and watches out for his two younger sisters who are ten and nine. My son is a pretty mature kid and hears everything. I told him at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year to let me know if he sees people using the wrong restroom, if he hears of confusing pronouns, or if he reads anything regarding sex education. I told Eli he needs to be mommy’s eyes and watch over his sisters like he typically does.
In late July 2022 (in school for maybe two weeks), I picked up the kids from school, and my son told me about a book he saw in the library that day. He said the book was on display in the library, and it was called “George.” Eli said, “I picked it up and read the back and saw it was about a boy who wanted to be a girl…. Mom, I think it was like those books you told me about.” He had not checked out the book, so I asked him to the next time at the library. “Check out the book, but don’t read it. Bring it home, and Mommy will let you know,” I told him.
The following Monday, at school pick-up, my son handed me “George,” by Alex Gino. After dinner I read every page, and I couldn’t sleep that night. I was shocked! This book was not only IN a school library, but it was even FEATURED on display! In short, “George” talks about hormonal medication, surgeries, keeping secrets from parents, PORN, and a lot more. I was livid.
The next morning, I emailed Principal Morgan with screenshots of the front and back of the book. His response was that he was out of town for a week but asked if I’d like to speak to the Dean of Students, Bridgett Matson, or wait until he returned. Mr. Morgan did acknowledge this book should not have been in the library. I asked him to please have Mrs. Matson reach out to me. I heard nothing. I waited a week and finally was able to set up a meeting with them both. During that week, the photo I had of the book circulated on social media. I wanted parents to know that this issue is real.
At the meeting, the principal apologized for the book getting into my son’s hands and asked how Eli found the book. He mentioned the backlash he was getting from other parents in the school and community. Mr. Morgan assured me that for years he’d gone through every single book in that library because they were making sure these books weren’t there. I advised him that there are at least 3 more books like this in his library. (A friend of mine gave me a website, gofollett.com, where you can see all the books in school libraries.) The principal bit his tongue. I then asked him, “Doesn’t this book break the sex education and parental consent laws?” He didn’t know.
Then he asked what I wanted to be done about this. I said, “I want this reported to the School District, and for these books to be removed from each elementary library.” To his credit, Mr. Morgan took responsibility and apologized again. But he then added his frustration at getting emails calling him a ‘groomer,’ as if expecting me to apologize.
The following monthly Chandler Unified School Board meeting, I spoke and read straight from the book hoping that the board members would realize the impact of this book on children. I advised the board members that if I were to hand this very book to a child on the street, I would be arrested. The next day I started getting texts from friends letting me know that CUSD80 board member Lindsay Love was posting pictures of me and attacking me on her social media. I wasn’t going to let this go. I went to the district office to complain and was told there wasn’t anything they could do to help me because Lindsay Love is an elected official.
At that moment I finally accepted reality. My public school, which I had always loved, was no longer a safe place for my kids—or our family. Homeschooling was the best option for us, especially with the help of the new ESA program.
I want all parents to know—it’s time to start paying attention, not only to the teachers and classwork, but the principal, the district board members, and the Superintendent of Instruction. When the book came home and was in my son’s hands, I needed to know who to go to. First the principal, then who is above? The district. Once I knew the district wouldn’t help, then who? The Superintendent, who at the time had a ‘Q chat’ space on the Arizona Department of Education’s website. Then where to go? I was told to contact my local legislator. At that time, we had a leftist woke legislator as well. So where do parents turn when no ‘official’ is left?
This is why local elections are critical. We need to pay attention to the people running for these offices. But even before election season, NOW is the time to find good people to run for office. It starts at a local level. As parents, we need to pay attention to everything these days. Read everything your child brings home. Get involved in the class if at all possible. Ask teachers for learning lessons. Find out what curriculum is being used. Most importantly, have open communication with your children.
We parents are the ones in charge of our kids’ education, health, and safety. Maybe our school teachers and administrators will finally accept that fact when enough of us start showing up.
Charlotte Lawrence is a 41-year-old stay-at-home mom with 3 kids. Her ultimate goal is to help bring awareness to parents about what their children are learning and to help protect our children’s innocence.
by Loretta Hunnicutt | Nov 16, 2022 | Education, News
By Loretta Hunnicutt |
From the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to local school board positions, several conservatives are currently leading or have already won key races on the education front in the 2022 General Election.
As of press time, Republican candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), Tom Horne, had increased his lead in his challenge of incumbent Kathy Hoffman. Horne previously served as SPI from 2003 to 2011, prior to successfully running for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. If the results hold up, Horne says his focus as SPI will be on improving student performance and eradicating Critical Race Theory-based curriculum from Arizona’s public schools.
In the Peoria Unified School District race, Heather Rooks won a hard-fought and challenging race. Her efforts to expose the Social Emotional Learning-based policies and practices in the district eventually led her to request an injunction against an activist parent. As reported by the Arizona Daily Independent, Rooks, a mother of four school-aged children, obtained the injunction based on threats from Democrat activist, Josh Gray.
Two other conservative candidates, Amy Carney and Carine Werner, secured seats on the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Governing Board. Their victories serve as a powerful repudiation of out-going Governing Board Member Jann-Michael Greenburg. Greenburg was sued by parents who accused him of trying to silence them after they exposed his secret Google Drive dossier on them. As AZ Free News reported in April, that dossier included a trove of political opposition research on parents, who opposed the district’s adoption of Social Emotional Learning and Critical Race Theory.
In the race for Flowing Wells School District Governing Board—an area known for being blue—conservative Brianna Hernandez Hamilton is currently holding on to one of two open spots. A mother of three very young children, Hernandez Hamilton ran with the slogan: “Parents + Teachers = Quality Education.”
Kurt Rohrs, a long-time education activist and frequent contributor to AZ Free News, won a spot on the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board. Rohrs, like Horne, focused on improving student performance and eliminating the divisive Critical Race Theory from the district’s curriculum. Many see Rohrs’ presence on the board as an opportunity to restore calm to the district which had become the center of controversy thanks to out-going board member Lindsay Love.
In the race for Dysart Unified School District Governing Board, conservative Dawn Densmore was retained by voters. As current president of the board, Densmore successfully led the fight to end the district’s relationship with the Arizona School Board Association (ASBA). Jennifer Drake also won a seat on the board.
Sandra Christensen is set to win a seat on the Paradise Valley Unified School District Governing Board. Libby Settle and Madicyn Reid are in the lead for spots in Fountain Hills. Paul Carver should take a win in Deer Valley. Jackie Ulmer appears to have been successful in Cave Creek as well as Rachel Walden in Mesa and Chad Thompson in Gilbert. In the Higley Unified School District, conservative Anna Van Hoek also won a seat on the board.
In a tweet from earlier this week, former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos summed up what many parents have been feeling over the past few years – left out. In response to the National Education Association’s claim that teachers “know better than anyone” what students need in the classroom, DeVos responded, “You misspelled parents.”
by Kurt Rohrs | Nov 15, 2022 | Opinion
By Kurt Rohrs |
Recently, Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) released an initiative entitled “Portrait of a Learner.” Not only does it seem to be focused primarily on social values that the district wants to promote to its students, but it’s similar to ones adopted by several other local school districts.
Through “Portrait of a Learner,” CUSD appears to be moving beyond the more traditional and universally accepted “Character Counts,” which emphasized the social values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. While this new initiative contains some overlap with what has been promoted in the past, it seeks to advance more progressive values of adaptability, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, empathy, and global citizenship.
Clearly these are social values, but did you notice something? There is little reference to academic achievement or job skills training. In addition, there is no significant emphasis on practical hard skills for students to obtain, which would be far more useful for them in their careers after they leave school.
Most of all, “Portrait of a Learner” does not appear to recognize or acknowledge that the upbringing of children is reserved to parents in the home and is protected by Arizona state law (ARS 1-601 and ARS 1-602). Let’s look at one of the values from this new initiative as an example.
Globalism as a Political Ideology
The concept of “Global Citizenship” or “Globalism” has more far-reaching implications than what has been advanced in the CUSD initiative. It typically stands opposed to “American Idealism,” “American Exceptionalism,” or similar more nation-centered ideologies.
American Idealism is the belief that American ideals are inherently superior to those of other societies and states. It is sometimes referred to as “America First” policy in response to challenges from other global competitors in their efforts to dominate the world.
Globalism denies this and fosters an “open borders” policy that allows people, information, and goods to cross national borders unrestricted. It also promotes international organizations such as the European Union, the United Nations, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to be the primary ruling bodies for policy instead of our own government.
Is this really what we should be teaching in American schools?
Controversial political issues like this should not be presented in classrooms as established doctrine, especially without clearly defined boundaries. But CUSD moved forward with it anyway.
When “Education” Becomes “Dogma”
Dogma is a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true and not to be denied or disputed. When schools teach ideas like “Globalism” as dogma, it very easily leads to “indoctrination” where students are taught to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. This should be of great concern to parents and the rest of the community.
That’s why several questions about “Portrait of a Learner” and similar programs need to be examined more closely.
- If controversial ideologies are being presented in schools, is it done so in a fair and balanced way that examines multiple sides of a particular issue? Is equal weight given to differing positions?
- How does the “critical thinking” part of the “Portrait of a Learner” initiative get applied?
- Are any dissenting or opposing positions encouraged or even allowed?
- What is age appropriate for younger students?
- Do parents get to review and approve the social and political lessons presented to their children?
- What happens when parents object to controversial social and political positions being advanced in classrooms?
District policy needs to be more cognizant of the ideological controversies being presented in curriculum and seek to avoid taking positions on particular issues. There also needs to well-defined boundaries as to what is presented and how it is presented in classrooms. Finally, all lessons should be objective and unbiased. That’s the only way to ensure that students get a proper education founded on critical analysis and a better understanding of the sources, factual history, and future implications of certain social and political ideologies.
Kurt Rohrs is currently the leading the race for the Chandler Unified School District Governing Board. You can find out more about his campaign here.
