A Republican bill requiring school districts to notify parents if their children have a

different

gender identity in school

different

of the gender on their birth certificate was Democratic such a nonstarter

–

California legislature verified that it wasn’t even under discussion when it was introduced earlier this year.

But there was the bill’s author, Councilman Bill Essayli (R-Corona), standing before the Capitol on Monday with an air of victory.

“I have a message for my colleagues in the legislature: You can shut me up in Sacramento. But you can’t shut up the people of the state of California,” Essayli said to the applause of a crowd of parent activists standing behind him.

His policies that stalled in the legislature recently split in two

Southland Riverside County

school districts first in Chino and then in Murietta. Essayli said he’s now taking it “to every school district in this state” and predicted many more would pass in the coming weeks and months.

In a state where Republicans have almost no political power in the Capitol, they have not won and held state office since 2006

less than one

a quarter of the seats in the legislature conservative efforts to shape school boards are now bearing fruit.

Parents who first mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic to push for schools to reopen and fight against vaccine and mask mandates revolve around clashes over race and gender issues in education. And while the Republicans can’t get traction in Sacramento, they’re finding some

Good luck on school boards in conservative parts of California and we hope the education-based culture wars will help the GOP build power in the upcoming election year.

“We welcome this fight. Bring it on,” a defiant Essayli said of the Democrats. “We want the public to know what your agenda is. And we want to come back to this in the next election.”

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom clapped back Monday afternoon during a visit to Miwok Village Elementary School in Elk Grove, a Sacramento suburb, refuting conservative accusations that it disrespects state policies

“

rights of parents.

“

“There is no state in America that supports local control and parental involvement like the state of California,” Newsom said. “No one comes close.”

As proof, Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel presented Newsom with what they call California

“F

friendly

a

genda

“

his administration’s blueprint for involving parents in their children’s studies while ensuring that students are protected from “politically motivated censorship”.

Newsom pointed to billions of dollars he allocated to state budgets during his tenure to increase access to free school meals.

stimulate

Professional development of teachers and expansion of mental health services. He contrasted those initiatives with moves in Republican-controlled states like Florida to ban LGBTQ

+

institute theme books and other school policies promoted by conservatives.

“We believe in the right of children to thrive,” he said. “We believe in the right of parents to decide and support their children. We believe that children have the right to learn and the right to succeed. And that’s what sets out our agenda.”

Newsom said he was “understanding” some of the policies for transgender students being accepted in districts like Chino. He said he is working with the

Legislative LGBTQ Caucus

about legislation that could address that policy, but declined to give details. A spokesman for the caucus also declined to add details.

Notification policies for transgender parents aren’t the only issue leading to clashes between Democrats who lead the state government and conservative parents and school boards.

Parent activists, including some who wore olive green “Mom Army” T-shirts, made their way through lawmakers’ offices on Monday to oppose a series of bills. Among them: legislation to make it a crime to harass or threaten a school official; allow the state to impose fines on school districts that refuse to adopt a curriculum that meets the state’s diversity requirements; and to provide teachers with training in cultural competence on LGBTQ+ issues.

“It’s unfortunate that a small group of anti-LGBTQ+ school administrators would rather play politics outside the Capitol than welcome students back to school and help them thrive,” Councilman Rick

chavez

Zbur (D-Los Angeles), former leader of gay rights group Equality California, said in a statement.

Last month, Newsom threatened to fine a conservative Temecula school board $1.5 million after members refused to approve learning materials containing content about the slain gay rights leader and San Francisco

S

accompanist Harvey Milk.

Temecula Valley Unified has since approved compliant textbooks and the governor has dropped the threat of the fine. But the board’s actions nevertheless motivated Newsom to push for legislation that calls for fining districts if they fail to meet the state’s LGBTQ+ instructional standards.

The Legislature’s LGBTQ Caucus said in a statement last month that it was “actively working on new approaches to making sure you can feel safe in the classroom,” calling the policy an effort to encourage transgender and non-binary students. by force,” including those who may not be safe at home if their parents become aware of their gender identity.

Last month, state superintendent of public education Tony Thurmond also attended a chaotic school board meeting in Chino, where he opposed policies that inform parents about students’ gender identity. The Chino Valley Unified board approved the policy despite a warning from California Atty. General Rob Bonta on possible legal action regarding privacy and anti-discrimination laws.

Assembly member Essayli said he worked with a team of lawyers to ensure that policies adopted by school boards hold up against potential lawsuits.

We like going to court. And we like to sit on the Supreme Court,” Essayli said.

An organization called the Coalition for Parental Rights, which includes several Christian and conservative advocacy groups, has sprung up and is trying to advance gender reporting policies across California, said

Jonathan Zachreson

a Roseville City School District board member who organized parents to fight school closures and mask and vaccine policies during the pandemic.

Conservative and parent groups are also in the early stages of making statewide ballot initiatives, Zachreson said. The proposals include a parent notification policy for transgender people, a measure to involve transgender students in sports and a proposal for medical procedures for transgender youth.

In the meantime, Republican efforts to recruit and train school board candidates in last year’s election could provide more momentum for next year.

In an interview at Monday’s event outside the Capitol, Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley school board, said she had not been involved with the California Republican Party before running for the school board last year.

But as she wanted to build her campaign, she said she found training opportunities through the state’s GOP.

“They were more about giving parents a voice,” she said. “It was more support for what we were doing.”

Now she’s using the platform she acquired by passing the transgender reporting policy to rally conservative parents to run for school boards.

“We will continue to get up and push back and take those seats all over California,” Shaw said in a speech outside the Capitol. “We can do this and we’re going to do it.”