Protecting Students’ Freedom to Learn & Freedom to Be Themselves at School
In some school districts, students and parents feel unwelcome because of who they are.
In parts of California, school board members have passed policies that harm students, especially LGBTQ students, and are challenging protections put in place for students. A handful of extremists are trying to challenge some California schools and their efforts to create inclusive learning environments or lessons for historically marginalized student groups.
Here in California, we’re making sure that all students have the freedom to learn.
Every young person deserves a great education that prepares them for a bright future. That includes students of all races, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and genders.
When we focus on protecting the freedom to learn, we have the power to join together to demand better government funding for our schools, so that all students can attend safe, welcoming, and well-resourced schools.
This page provides resources to help you and your community protect students’ rights to be themselves and learn at school. We created a toolkit for parents and students on how to advocate for change in your school district, a guide to help you figure out whether or how you can file a complaint for an issue you’re facing at your school, and a list of questions to ask school board candidates to learn their position on key issues on students’ civil rights and civil liberties.
Take Action
If you’re a student or a parent of a student in California schools, there are many ways you can take action to protect the freedom to learn. To get started today, check out the. how-to guides and resources below.
Guidance for your School District
The government and civil rights organizations often publish letters, legal alerts, and guidance to remind school districts of their responsibilities under the law. You can download and deliver these documents to your school district if the following violations are happening.
Information presented here may need to be modified for specific school districts and may be out of date.
Resources for Teachers and School Staff
There are a wealth of resources available for educators and school staff who want to learn how to best support students in this moment. In addition to our toolkit, we recommend the following resources for educators:
The Freedom to Learn in California
We’re tracking areas in California where the freedom to learn is being threatened. Explore the map below to see districts we’re seeing problematic conduct by school officials related to censorship, discrimination, and lack of transparency in the government. If you live in any of these communities and would like to get organized, please contact us.