Action Steps | PEP.org

STEPS TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD FROM INAPPROPRIATE LITERATURE

1. Monitor your child's reading assignments. Parents may request alternate materials if the text is objectionable or in conflict with your religious or moral beliefs. Your child's grades and standing should not be affected.

2. Know what your child is choosing from the media center and choosing on ebook apps. Our searches identify books in school libraries but not all the ebooks available through Destiny Follett. Libby, Sora, NC Cardinal, and NC Kids Digital Library. View links at the bottom of the page. Learn more about NC Cardinal, NC Kids Digital Library, and Sora on the READING, BOOKS, AND MORE page.

3. EMAIL the teacher, Principal and School Board Representative with your concerns about the materials your child is expected to read or use. An email provides a written record of your concerns and requests. Phone calls or written notes do not.

4. EMAIL your Representative and Senator about what you see happening in your child's school and/or district. We have been told that an email is more meaningful, provides a record, and carries more weight than a phone call. View links at the bottom of the page.

Know Your School
District Policies

View Many School District Policies and Policy Changes Through the Online Webhosting Services of the NCBCA.

The North Carolina School Board Association (NCSBA) provides online web hosting for many of North Carolina's school boards. It offers services such as manual updates and evaluations. It is a member organization.

What policy changes have been made in North Carolina to help districts follow the Parents' Bill of Rights directive that took effect in January 2024?

Click here to for easy access to many district policy manuals.

Challenge a Book

Understand that book banning is not PEP's goal, however we have become increasingly aware of books and materials with sexually inappropriate texts and gender concepts are available to minors in school libraries and in some classrooms. Books that contain extreme violence, self- harm, suicide, and horror are also making there way into schools. You have a right as a parent to challenge inappropriate instructional and supplementary materials placed in your child's school whether it be in a media center, part of a classroom library, used for instructional purposes, or part of an assignment.

The Process

Reconsideration of Instructional Materials

First- Print and complete the REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FORM from your child's school district. It may be found online at the school or school district website. If it isn't, contact the Principal or Media Specialist at the school.

Letter
and Artifacts

Second- Write a personal letter to the Principal explaining your thinking. Submit your letter, the Request for Reconsideration form, and book artifacts such as photos, chapter, and page references with objectionable material BY EMAIL. Email will provide you a paper trail if needed.

Principals and Review Committees

Lastly- After the Principal's review, hopefully your book will be out of circulation or use. If not,the challenge will go through a series of committee reviews. The number and make up of the review committees will be directed by school board policy. In many districts it is SB policy 3210. It will be most likely be composed of school personnel, librarian, and parents. Ask who will be on the committee. They should read and review the book just as you did. Check back on their progress weekly.

Now What?

If the book is approved to remain on the shelves, continue to ask school personnel to send your book challenge to the next level, which will likely be a school board committee. If you do not receive the decision you wanted, contact your district Superintendent, State Superintendent, the NC Board of Education and legislators. Email them with your documents and steps you have taken to change the situation.

Address the
School Board
with Your Concerns

Most schools have an online sign up process for comment. Check the Board's website. The process in some districts takes place on location before the meeting begins. Check it out a few days before you plan to speak. You may be asked whether you will be responding to items on the agenda or policy changes.

Observe a board meeting to learn how the meeting is structured.

Most school boards allow 2-3 minutes for pubic comment. Prepare your remarks with that in mind.

Its not typical for the Board to ask or answer questions during Public Comment time.

State your key idea or point. Preparing facts and statistics are helpful. So are personal stories.

Be confident, this is your school district and you have every right to be heard even if others present do not agree with you.

OPT IN or OPT OUT of
Reproductive Health Lessons

Parents currently have the option to opt out from human sexuality instruction for their children. Schools will usually have you opt in or out of instruction when you register your child for school, or they will send home forms throughout the year for special programs, or training events. You must OPT OUT as of this posting. Anti-bullying, mental health, family diversity, social emotional learning (SEL) and sex education trainings are pathways of influence with your child. Opt out of everything or pull your child out of school during these instructional times when such material is being presented. Unless you have reviewed the curriculum and materials, parents have no way of knowing what is actually being taught and some curriculums approved for use in North Carolina are not faithfully following state statutes for NC children.

Do you know what comprehensive sex education really is all about? Take a look at the graphics to learn just a few concepts and values that of some CSE programs.

Screenshot 2024-04-01 at 6.55_edited.jpg

from Siecus

There are many curriculums that North Carolina school districts may choose for their students. The Parents' Bill of Rights prevents sexual instruction before grade 4. See PBR for complete text. There are many curriculums that are not in compliance with North Carolina State Statutes. Opt Out or wait to Opt In until you have thoroughly inspected all materials and digital resources that students may access.

SL SESSION LAW 2023-106 SENATE BILL 49

49 § 115C-76.25.Parent legal rights for their child's education. (a) Parents have legal rights with regards to their child's education, including the following: (1) The right to consent or withhold consent for participation in reproductive health and safety education programs, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 115C-81.30. (2) The right to seek a medical or religious exemption from immunization requirements, consistent with the requirements of G.S. 130A-156 and G.S. 130A-157.

Stop the Viewing of
Sexually Inappropriate Material
on Public School Devices.
REPORT INCIDENTS.

We need your help to stop North Carolina schools from ignoring the harm being done to innocent children when they access adult websites on school devices. This is happening in the classroom, on the bus and at home. Please take a few minutes to hear from one mom’s experience in Wake County.

See the blog: Pornography on School-Issued Device

If you know of a family that has been impacted by this issue, please have them contact us. With enough complaints, legal action might proceed. It’s time to hold the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Board of Education, and District School Boards accountable for violating obscenity laws and for not protecting minors from sexual content on school devices.

OTHER GROUPS CONCERNED ABOUT EDUCATION IN NORTH CAROLINA

Our Mission Activities Overview: Empower and unify member teachers to provide unbiased sound content and to improve public school quality and literacy; provide affordable tutoring and online courses.