Back to School - PDF Downloads - Focus on the Family

Equipping Parents for Back-to-School 2024

A Busy Parent’s Guide to What’s Happening at School and How to Talk to Kids About It

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Our goal is to strengthen our schools — not divide them. This information, combined with a biblical worldview, empowers parents and students to navigate the school year with grace and truth. Your role is crucial, Mom and Dad!

“What to Know About Educational Authority, What’s Happening in the Classroom, & Radical Ideologies”

A quick summary:

Parents are ultimately in charge of their children’s education; this is a right the Supreme Court has upheld. But the government also has a role in education, and when you send your child to a public school, the school is empowered – to some degree – to act on your behalf. State legislatures and boards of education mandate policies and requirements for schools and student attendance. The federal government provides funds for different educational programs. Local school boards oversee local schools. And school administrators and teachers also influence what’s taught in the classroom. Find out more about how these all fit together – and how to safeguard your rights and protect your child – in the section titled: “Understanding Your Educational Rights and Parental Authority.”

There are major issues and problems in many public schools: Many of our nation’s schools are failing – children are not learning basic skills – even as education spending has increased dramatically. Some schools are focusing on teaching children radical ideologies, such as Critical Race Theory, and many are sexualizing and confusing children by teaching about homosexual and transgender identities and behaviors. Some states even mandate teaching about LGBT issues to all students – grades K-12 – in social studies lessons. Make sure you’re aware of what’s being taught in many public schools by reading more about “Radical Ideology in Public Schools” and “LGBT Curriculum Mandates.”

You can take steps to safeguard your children: Parents have the right to review curriculum and lesson plans and to observe classes. Your child’s free speech and religious freedom are protected. And you can advocate for your child by joining local parents groups, engaging in the curriculum and textbook review process, and participating in school board meetings. Find out more in sections like “Know Your Child’s Rights” and “Ways You Can Protect and Advocate for Your Child.”

Finally, you can help your child succeed in school and give them a solid understanding of important topics like sexuality, identity, relationships, marriage, and the value of all people. Take an interest in what they’re learning, get to know your child’s learning style, and encourage them as they learn and grow. Begin an important, ongoing conversation with your child about God’s design of humans as male and female, how marriage unites a husband and wife, and that God loves everyone – even when we disagree. Learn more in the section labeled “Talk With Your Children.”

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“What’s Happening in Health Rooms, Clinics, Counseling Offices, & Sexual Education”

A quick summary:

Many parents have been shocked in recent years to learn that sexual education in schools doesn’t focus on basic facts about biology, pregnancy and STDs – or place an emphasis on waiting until marriage to engage in sexual activity. Instead, activist groups like Planned Parents and the LGBT group Advocates for Youth promote Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). CSE sexualizes and confuses children by teaching about “safer sex” and that sexual activities are “rights” that children can “consent” to. These groups create sex ed standards and curriculums that are adopted by state legislatures and boards of education. Find out more by reading sections like “What’s Happening at School?” and “Why Should I Be Concerned?”

CSE teaches elementary school children their “gender” might be different from their biological sex and there are an infinite number of “gender identities.” CSE teaches that sexual and romantic attractions define a person – and that being attracted to the same sex is no different from being attracted to the opposite sex. CSE teaches that abortion is a normal pregnancy outcome. While claiming to be medically accurate and effective, the research shows something different. We explain more in “How Do I Recognize Comprehensive Sex Ed in the Classroom?” and “Sex Education Words We Don’t Like.”

Risk Avoidance education (SRA) is a healthier alternative which teaches about relationships and sexuality. SRA gives a science- and health-based perspective on sex and stresses the benefits of abstinence until marriage. Here you’ll find information about helpful resources like “Universal Standards for Optimum Sexual Development” and groups that produce healthy sexual education. Check out “Comprehensive Sex Education vs. Sexual Risk Avoidance Education” and “Sex Education Words We Do Like.”

Delaying sexual activity until marriage is best for children. While most parents support sexual education, they want it to reflect their values and beliefs. You usually must give consent before your child is taught sexual education; you have the right to review curriculums, lesson plans, and textbooks; you can advocate for SRA to be taught in your school district; and you can usually opt your child out of unhealthy, ineffective CSE. Learn more in sections like “Know the Facts,” “Know Your Rights,” and “Ways You Can Protect and Advocate for Your Child.” Learn tips to help you talk with your child about these important – but sensitive and personal – topics.

School health clinics and counseling offices have become a serious area of concern for families in recent years. More than 3,900 school-based health centers are active across the country, often offering in-person and telehealth care; reproductive services such as contraception and abortion; and information about topics like transgenderism and homosexuality – often without parental knowledge or consent. At least 10.85 million students are in districts where schools hide information about mental health issues like sexual identity confusion from parents. This section explains areas of concern, helps you know the facts about these key issues, explores relevant state and federal laws, and helps you understand your rights and your child’s rights.

Finally, you’ll find gives lots of guidance about “Ways You Can Protect and Advocate for Your Child” and how to “Talk With Your Child.” For example, when you sign a consent form for treatment, you can limit the scope of that treatment. You can be proactive in reviewing materials from health staff and monitoring resources and information from your child’s school. It’s good to connect with like-minded parents and maintain good relationships with your schoolteachers and administrators. Invest consistent time for relationship and conversation with your child – help them think through who they trust and why. We give even more guidance and point to helpful resources inside.

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“Locker Rooms, Bathrooms, & Sports Teams”

A quick summary:

In schools across the country, students who “identify” as the opposite sex have been allowed to use sex-segregated restrooms, locker rooms, showers, and hotel rooms with students of the opposite sex. Well-funded activist groups have pushed an agenda that teaches “gender” is different from biological sex, there are an infinite number of genders, and students can identify as and live as the opposite sex. At least 1,062 school districts have “Transgender/Gender Nonconforming Policies,” created by transgender activist groups. See “What’s Happening at School?” and “Why Should I be Concerned?” for more on the effects of this agenda on schools and children.

“Transgenderism” is not rooted in objective truth, yet millions of young people now claim this identity. Opening private spaces to the opposite sex endangers students, but the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice are promoting this ideology and these policies, as are a number of states that have public accommodations laws that privilege transgender identity. States, boards of education, local municipalities, and school districts also have policies supporting transgenderism over the needs of other students. Some policies require that school hide information about students identifying as transgender from parents. Find more information by reading, “Know the Facts” and “Know the Law” in the restroom and locker room section.

To advocate for and protect your child, ask your administration about your schools “transgender policy” — specifically about their locker room and restroom policies. If your school policies threaten privacy and safety, join together with other parents, talk to teachers and administrators, and speak out at school board meetings. Talk with children about your growing concern, giving them a biblical and scientific foundation about humans being born either male or female, the confusion some children feel about this, and the truth that no one can change from one sex to the other. Get helpful guidance and more resources by checking out “Ways You Can Protect and Advocate for Your Child” and “Talk With Your Child.”

Schools across the country have allowed boys who identify as girls to play on girls sports teams. Boys who have gone through puberty have significant physical advantages in sports, and schools that allow this are endangering girls. Some girls, who identify as male, take testosterone and are allowed to compete on girls teams, giving them an unfair advantage, too. Parents should know that all this violates Title IX, the 1972 law designed to protect women and ensure equal access to educational and athletic opportunities. In addition, the Supreme Court has ruled that sports teams can have sex-based classifications. For more details, see the section on sports teams and the information in “What’s Happening at School,” “Know the Facts,” and “Know the Law.”

For fairness and safety, girls deserve the right to play on teams without biological males. Advocate for your children by talking with school administrators and coaches. Connect with other parents and talk with school board members about your concerns. Parents can even file discrimination complaints with federal and state Departments of Education. While “Save Girls Sports” laws have been passed in 24 states, if your state doesn’t have similar laws help establish them. Bless and affirm a son’s masculinity and a daughter’s femininity, and teach your children about God’s good design for humans – created male and female in His image. For guidance and encouragement, see the sports section’s information: “Know Your Child’s Rights,” “Ways You can Protect and Advocate for Your Child,” and “Talk with Your Child.”

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“What’s Happening in Libraries”

A quick summary:

Virtually every school in America has internet-connected devices, library databases and Wi-Fi for teachers and children to use for instruction, study, research, and completing assignments. But with this useful technology comes a variety of threats, where children can be – purposely or inadvertently – exposed to online bullying, pornography, violence and other harmful materials. In particular, early exposure to pornography can lead to sexual exploration and activity at an early age, distorted views of sex, negative attitudes toward women, and higher levels of body dissatisfaction. With numerous incidents where students have been exposed to damaging material in schools, you need to learn more about your school’s filtering technology as well as internet use and devices policies. Get more informed about tech issues in schools, by checking out these: “What’s Happening in Schools” and “Know the Facts.”

The Children’s Internet Protection Act requires schools and libraries that receive federal funding to have a policy regarding internet safety for minors and implement filtering software. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prohibits website operators and app services from collecting personal information from children under 13. In addition, various state laws require public schools to install blocking software. Still, you need to be vigilant, as tech-savvy students can work around filtering software and malicious actors can target children with inappropriate materials. Advocate for your children by making sure schools have filtering software and internet-connected device policies for students and parents to sign. Children need to know that there are bad actors in cyberspace, that computers can be used for hurtful purposes, and that you want to protect them from harm. Students must be informed that sharing inappropriate images is illegal and has serious consequences. Find guidance in the sections on electronic devices “Know the Law,” “Ways You Can Advocate for Your Child,” and “Talk With Your Child.”

News outlets have spotlighted confusing, sexualized, and even pornographic books in school libraries and classrooms and on school databases. Parents have exposed materials with profanity, rape, radical ideologies, explicit descriptions of sexual acts, and sexually graphic illustrations. These words and images have a strong negative impact on children. Most school districts have policies about how to challenge controversial materials, and we’ve provided a sample letter for “Objecting to Library Material.” You have the right to oversee your child’s education – and to protect them from harmful books, curriculums and resources. Another sample letter is included in this PDF, “Letter to Access Child’s Library Record.” For more guidance, see “What’s Happening at School,” “Why It’s Important,” “Know the Facts” and “Know Your Rights” in the library section of PDF 4.

School boards generally have authority to select instructional books and materials – which means they can set policies for including or challenging and removing books in school libraries and classrooms. But some states are passing laws prohibiting schools from removing challenged books. Other states have laws protecting children and parents’ rights in education. It’s good to know your school district’s and state’s policies on these issues, which you can find under “Know the Law.” This section also explains the “Obscenity Exemption,” a loophole which allows questionable material that ahs “scientific, educational, governmental value, or other justification.” Still, library content should generally reflect local community standards – not ideology imposed from extremist librarian groups.

Despite inappropriate materials in some school libraries, you can work to safeguard your child. Join your schools collection review committee, connect with other like-minded parents and teachers to explore your school’s library resources, and speak up at school board meetings when you find objectionable materials, as we explain in “Ways You Can Protect and Advocate for Your Child.” In addition, the section “Talk With Your Child” offers support and resources when your child has been exposed to inappropriate materials. Assure your child that they can come and talk with you, that they are not alone, and that God can help them become free from shame and guilt. Also, establish tighter boundaries with computer devices, review your child’s books and school resources, and discuss with them God’s good design for relationships, sexuality, and marriage.

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“Religious Freedom & Free-Speech”

A quick summary:

Religious freedom and free speech in public schools are under fire, for students, teachers, and parents – as we explain in “What’s Happening in Schools” and “Why It’s Important.” Schools have banned Bible studies, prayer times during lunch or free time, and student-led prayers at graduation. They’ve denied political and religious clubs the same privileges as other student organizations. In addition, parents rights are also under fire, with teachers reading sexualized and confusing books to children that oppose parents’ religious beliefs and values, and with schools hiding information about a child’s mental health from parents. Teachers rights are threatened when schools forcing them to lie about a child’s sexual identity confusion or use “transgender” language that is patently false.

Be aware that the same rights that give your child freedom to lead or participate in a student-led religious group also allow students to lead LGBT groups, often known as “Gender and Sexuality Alliances” or “Gay Straight Alliance Clubs” (GSA). The GSA Network boasts that it has a network with forty state-based organizations with more than 4,000 GSAs in elementary, middle, and high schools across the country. Activist teachers sometimes recruit children to participate in these groups, and sometimes they hide club memberships from parents. Read more in “LGBT Clubs and Activist Groups on School Campuses.”

School administrators may violate religious freedom protections in different ways. Some are openly hostile to religious expression; others are neutral – but don’t understand what the Bill of Rights says about religious liberty; others are influenced by outside groups like the ACLU that threaten schools with lawsuits; and some support religious expressions too enthusiastically. Students’, teachers’, and parents’ constitutional freedoms don’t end when they are in school, as the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed. Students may not disrupt classroom time or other school activities, but they maintain their right to gather with other students and express their beliefs on campus. Schools may not require students to engage in religious activities – but they also may not show bias against religion. We explain this – and more – in sections titled “Know the Facts,” “Know the Law,” and “Know Your Child’s Rights.”

We explain how to protect and champion your child’s rights in “Ways You Can Advocate for Your Child.” If your child’s rights and freedoms are violated, help is available. This resource offers strategies for talking with school administrators, filing complaints, and finding a legal aid group. We give guidance about how to educate and equip your children to understand their freedoms, and how to respond when they are violated, in the section “Talk With Your Child.”

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“Exercising & Advocating for Educational Freedom”

A quick summary:

Educational freedom includes school choice, freedom for schools and teachers to innovate, school transparency, clear reporting on educational outcomes, and parental rights in education. Educational freedom offers you the ability to choose the best schools and education for their children’s unique talents, abilities and learning styles. It is important – and greatly needed – because many school districts are failing to teach students fundamental skills, even while per-pupil spending and administration expenses have risen dramatically. In addition, many schools are pushing extreme radical and sexual dogma and anti-American and anti-capitalism ideologies. Teachers unions advocate for teachers – not students and families – and also promote an extreme, leftist agenda. Find out more about the growing movement by reading “Why Educational Freedom is Important for Families” and “Providing a Better Future for Children.”

The section on “School Choice and Funding for School Choice Programs” describes different school choice options, such as traditional public schools; private schools; homeschooling; magnet schools, which specialize in a particular area of education; charter schools; and intradistrict and interdistrict school choice, where students can move to a different school within their district or to one outside their school district. There are also online schools and hybrid models, offering students opportunities for success that match their strengths and learning styles. More and more states are funding these choices through different options, including Education Savings Accounts, vouchers, 529 College Savings and Prepaid Tuition Accounts, tax credit scholarships, and tax credits and deductions.

Different researchers have found that school choice can improve academic achievement, save taxpayer’s money, strengthen student values, and even create more integrated classrooms. Hospitals, gas stations, grocery stores, and law firms must compete and provide good services – or go out of business. Why should schools be any different? In the sections “Know the Facts” and “Know Your Rights,” you’ll learn good arguments for expanding educational freedom and find helpful groups and resources to advocate for school choice and parental rights in education. We also point out “Ways You Can Advocate” for these, like participating in school board meetings, contacting state legislators, writing letters to the editor, and connecting with state-based Family Policy Councils that advocate for educational freedom and parental rights in education.

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“Back to School”

A quick summary:

Here is the final download of Equipping Parents for Back to School. It is a 138-page compilation of the individual volumes you’ve received thus far — all in one, easy-to-access download. Inside, you’ll find:
- Volume 1: “Educational Authority, Radical Ideologies, and What’s Happening in the Classroom”
- Volume 2: “What’s Happening in Sexual Education, Health Rooms, Clinics, and Counseling Offices”
- Volume 3: “What’s Happening in Locker Rooms”
- Volume 4: “What’s Happening in School Libraries, on Databases, Internet, Wi-Fi, and Electronic Devices”
- Volume 5: “The Truth About Religious Freedom and Free Speech”
- Volume 6: “Exercising and Advocating for Educational Freedom”
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