LAKESIDE, Calif. — Local education leaders are forming a coalition of school board members from different districts around San Diego County to fight for parents to have more input and control over their children's education. They say parents should know information such as their child’s preferred gender identity in school, what books they’re reading and sexual health information for transgender students and approval of medicines such as sex hormone therapy.
But the board members say the state is making it illegal to notify parents like they want to.
Lakeside Union School Board President Andrew Hayes, and other school board members in different districts are creating what they call a “Parents Bill of Rights.”
“Local school districts have the ability with their board policies to establish appropriate parental notification," Hayes said. "Sacramento has limited parents access and we're here to expand that access.”
A.T. Furuya is with Transform Together, a group that educates and trains organizations like schools about LGBTQ+ topics.
Furuya reviewed the drafted 'Parents Bill of Rights' sent by CBS 8.
“It's really alarming," they said. "The things that are cited in this document are, there's a lot of misinformation in here about what advocacy and inclusion in school looks like for LGBTQ+ students.”
One of the items in the coalition’s Parents Bill of Rights calls for parent-written approval of administered medications, including sex hormone therapy. Furuya said that's already in place.
“I think what's affirming for their gender is going to look different for every student," they said. "And ultimately, when you recommend youth and parents too, like, we can't make any medical decisions, whether it's hormones or surgeries, without legal guardian consent.”
This newly formed coalition of school board members do not represent their respective districts.
CBS 8 spoke with the Lakeside Union Superintendent, Dr. Rhonda Taylor. She says some items on the group’s Parents Bill of Rights are already in place.
“We want the parents and the community’s input in the decision making process,” she said.
There is information districts do not give to parents because of state laws.
“Right now the law says we’re not allowed to notify the parents if the child is expressing gender identity issues," Taylor said. "We do not notify the parents because it’s not legal to do so.”
Hayes and the coalition said they’re willing to fight that.
“If the court’s ultimately have to decide, so be it.”
The school board members that are part of the coalition say they will propose the "Parents Bill of Rights" at their respective board meetings in December and need a majority vote for approval. If the districts adopt it, each board will send it up to the State Department of Education.
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