Children First—their education at all ages, all stages

• Foundational knowledge and habits of mind—critical thinking and independent learning through foundational subjects (which DO include arts, music, and physical education)
• Foundational THINKING AND LEARNING SKILLS prepare our children to process the volumes of information that must be understood regarding truth, bias, and purpose.
• Foundational SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE include understanding government and citizenship. Federal law requires that any institution receiving government funds must teach the U.S. Constitution on September 17, Constitution Day.
• All decisions regarding money, time, and personnel should be made by asking some basic questions:
• Does this put children first?
• Does this promote the habits of mind and the foundational knowledge needed to become healthy, well-adjusted, and contributing citizens?
• Abraham Lincoln said, “The philosophy in the schoolroom of one generation is the philosophy of government in the next.”

Children—their innocence and safety

• Learning environments that are safe and orderly—safe mentally, emotionally, and physically
• Age-appropriate choices and topics
• Respect and value for each individual
• Consistent and appropriate parameters
• Prevent trauma—easier than healing it
• Bathrooms and locker rooms assigned according to the biological sex designated at an individual’s birth

Parental rights and responsibilities

• Respect family values.
• Return rights, respect, and responsibility to parents.
• Allow parents to take responsibility, thereby also freeing teachers to focus on creating learning opportunities and using teaching strategies per their area or subject expertise.
• Maintain clear delineation between parent and school responsibilities; sensitive issues are best addressed in the home environment by the people who know the child best, the parents.
• Foster and maintain strong parent-school partnerships. There is (and has been for decades) strong positive correlations between parent involvement and the areas of student achievement, student behavior, and student attendance at school. This positive correlation crosses all ethnicities and socioeconomic levels.
• References are available to anyone who asks.

Curriculum safeguards

• How and why are materials and philosophy chosen?
• How are materials made available for public review before being chosen?
• What books and materials are being used, and what social/emotional topics are being introduced?
• Can the materials be brought home physically and/or easily accessed online?
• Are the methods and materials parent friendly, ie math methods, scientific procedure, wide exposure to original documents from U.S. history?
• How much time, money, personnel, and other resources will this curriculum require to be effective? Will this take time away from prioritized foundational skills or knowledge?
• How is proficiency or success measured? Is the measurement reflective of real-life use and skill?
• Do selected materials and methods support foundational skills and knowledge?

Policies safeguards

• Do policies reflect a foundation of mutual respect for home and school?
• Does the public have access to the issues being considered and opportunities for input before decisions are made? Are topics and issues to be discussed at school board meetings made public with input prior to decisions both desired and expected?
• Are current policies published and easily accessible in language easy for parents to understand?

Access to information and facilities

• Online access to curriculum and materials (including access to books read or articles assigned in all subjects)
• Access to grades and other data involving one’s child with training available to help parents use the online access effectively
• Online access to lesson plans and assignments
• Facilities accessible to parents and family members who want to visit classrooms or attend classes