First of all, congratulations to you for making up your mind to get involved in your local school district! A couple of weeks ago, we sent out an invitation to **[elevate your cause](https://www.cferfoundation.org/posts/post-elevate-your-cause)**, which has been well received with many positive responses.  
  
Now what? How do we get started after identifying the noble causes we want to advocate for?  
  
Some prefer rallies. Others want to get behind campaigns for elections or recalls. Albeit exciting, these campaigns can hardly generate long-term results. Without solid local organizing, political campaigns alone are insufficient in helping us win the culture war in your school district. In this regard, it is crucial that **you attend your school district board meetings in person at the start of your journey to improve local education**.  
  
By attending school board meetings, you will be able to familiarize yourself with lingo and concepts frequently used in local educational settings, such as: ADA, California dashboards, LCAP and etc. You may find out that you need to visit [Transparent California](https://transparentcalifornia.com/) to check out school district finances. You will learn about publicly available reports like [FCMAT reports](https://www.fcmat.org/fcmat-reports) that give more information regarding your school district’s business practices. Perhaps you don’t think your public comments can call trustees’ attention to the important issues pertaining to your local schools. But trust me: **when you have knowledge of school district businesses and speak with their language, your advocacy work can actually move the needle**. First and foremost, developing practical knowhow on the business of local education policymaking through observing school board meetings up close and in person can help you build credibility among your fellows, which also can help attract parents and community members in the middle.  
  
By speaking up at school board meetings regularly, you can also **sharpen your capability to talk about often controversial issues calmly and your ability to conduct yourself professionally** in an environment where many people are in disagreement with you. While we are the silent majority, you should realistically expect most other meeting attendees (school board members, district administrators and teachers’ union members) to passionately disagree with you on most issues. You should also expect to hear some of the most ridiculous statements coming from them. Showing up regularly and professionally would be a test to see if you can use prudence and express your points clearly under pressure. While it is understandable that many just can't help themselves to laugh or yell at the other side’s nonsense, you have to withhold from sharing your disgust in any toxic manner. Public meetings are a good place to practice being "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." (James 1: 19 NIV)  
  
Going to school board meetings regularly will also aid in growing your team organically and gradually. You will meet other frustrated parents and concerned community members who may show up occasionally.  
  
At these school board meetings, you will be able to demonstrate your love and understanding for the students and all fellow Americans through intent listening. Even though most attendees may share different opinions on some fundamental issues, you can work to find some common grounds. For example, in Poway Unified, a union-backed trustee listened to the parent watchdog group PUSD Community Watch (PCW) when PCW reported about the omission of the Pledge of Allegiance at an elementary school. The trustee, who has a military background, heeded PCW's advice. Your love for the next generation and our country makes it possible and necessary to work with those in disagreement. In the long run, it is critical for you to win the hearts and minds of your fellows.  
  
Last but not the least, if you are lucky to have a school board trustee you already support, your presence and comments in support of him/her will provide the strongest encouragement and affirmation for the trustee. We have seen so many terrible cases in which the lone independent trustee is bullied by the teachers' union and its puppet trustees. Imagine just how grateful the lone brave trustee would be if you show up at the board meetings in person and consistently.  
  
Summer is here. We implore you to challenge yourself and set a goal to speak at your school board meetings for the next scholar year. It will definitely be a sacrifice of your time and energy but will it will be immensely rewarding. You will find that you can build your knowledge, team, and self-control to advocate for education and for our future generations! Once you have the team and knowledge, you will have all the resources you need to take back your school district. And you will not be alone, if you have any question during your time at the board meetings, many organizations, including CFER, California Policy Center, Parents Defending Education and [more](https://www.cferfoundation.org/alliance/endorse) can help!  
  
Thank you for the kind attention!

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Step 2: Attend school board meetings in person!

That “**health disparities have racist roots**” has become a common myth. In California, the passage of [SB 17](https://greenlining.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/SB-17-Senator-Pan-Factsheet.pdf) in 2021 led to the establishment of a statewide Office of Racial Equity and a declaration that “**racism is a public health crisis**” Following the state government’s rhetoric, many race-based public health programs have proliferated at the local level, among which is the San Diego County Black Infant Health Program ([BIH](https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/black_infant_health_program.html)).  
  
Aimed at “improv[ing] African-American infant and maternal health, as well as decreas[ing] Black-White health and social inequities for women and infants,” BIH provides “a culturally affirming environment and honor[s] the unique history of African-American women.” Specifically, the program “uses a group-based approach with complementary client-centered case management to help participants develop life skills, strategies to reduce stress, and build social support.”  
  
This sounds **blatantly unconstitutional**! While we are astounded to learn about BIH, CFER has resolved to challenge the constitutionality and legality of the program’s facially race requirement. In order for us to have a strong legal standing in arguing this case, we will **need individual plaintiffs who are: 1. Non-Black San Diego residents; 2. Pregnant or Planning for kids**. As always, CFER protects the anonymity and privacy of our individual plaintiff members. **If you know someone who fits our criteria, will you point us to her way?**  
  
To defend the indefensible, race hustlers often weaponize research to justify their claims for racial preferences. In the case of BIH, proponents point to research on “obstetric racism” and other health inequities in birth outcomes. Does this kind of research hold weight?  
  
CFER Executive Director Dr. Wenyuan Wu published a  literature [review](https://www.mindingthecampus.org/2025/06/16/californias-race-based-pregnancy-payouts-backed-by-dubious-studies/) of prevalent research behind programs like BIH, which found a sand castle of flawed studies, confirmation biases and misinterpreted causality. For instance, a 2023 journal [article](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9968447/#:~:text=Black%20people%20are%203%E2%80%934%20times%20more%20likely%20to%20die%20in%20labor%20or%20from%20related%20complications%20in%20comparison%20to%20white%20women%20and%20birthing%20people%20(Howell%2C%202018)) from _Social Science & Medicine_, frequently quoted to show racism against “Black birthing people,” contains a measly sample size of 34 participants and puts out outlandish claims such as “the Black Lives Matter Movement is necessary.” There is also a 2018 [paper](https://www.mindingthecampus.org/2025/06/16/californias-race-based-pregnancy-payouts-backed-by-dubious-studies/) in the _European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology_ that identified 23 maternal risk factors. Out of the 23 factors, individual-level variables such as preterm birth, preexisting hypertension, preexisting diabetes and sickle cell anemia were found to be more consequential than race. If you want to learn more about the corruption and misuse of “scientific research,” read her latest analysis [here](https://www.mindingthecampus.org/2025/06/16/californias-race-based-pregnancy-payouts-backed-by-dubious-studies/).  
  
In 2023, we worked with several concerned San Franciscans to [challenge](https://www.americancivilrightsproject.org/blog/acr-project-files-amended-complaint-in-challenge-to-unconstitutional-guaranteed-income-programs/) a similar program called “The Abundant Birth Project.” While that case is still active, we have strengthened our resolve to identify and expose other race-based public health initiatives. Please help us by connecting CFER with potential individual plaintiffs.  
  
Thank you in advance!

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Plaintiffs needed to challenge San Diego’s race-based infant health program

Like you, we don’t want biological males to compete with girls in school and collegiate sports. Sadly, in a state where out-of-touch politicians pander to fringe cultural and ideological fads, common sense is painfully lacking. 
 
While many encouraging things are happening around us in the public square, we, especially us Californians, must get off the fence and actively participate in making positive changes in the Golden State. The culture war is waged by totalitarians, who are seeking a total control of young Americans’ thoughts and minds. In addition to continuing to champion equal treatment as it relates to race and merit, CFER is also passionate about advancing true gender equality. After all, Prop. 209 states unequivocally:
 
"The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting."
 
In this spirit, we want to call on you to fight with us to mount credible challenges to California’s blatant violations of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 up and down the Golden State. We will connect you with willing and able public interest lawyers who are eager to take on potential cases pro bono, while shielding your privacy.  
 
If you are a parent of a female student athlete whose chances for fair competition and college scholarship prospects are threatened by the presence of biological males in the sport, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We want to work with you, PROFESSIONALLY and DISCREETLY, to advocate for your daughter’s equal rights. We will go to great lengths to protect your and your daughter’s privacy and identities. If you know of anyone who is either a student or a parent subjected to such circumstances, will you encourage them to reach out to us?
 
Thank you!

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Plaintiffs needed in Title IX cases to prevent boys from unfairly competing in girls' sports

Do you feel frustrated when your child’s school implements a curriculum that doesn't align with your values? Do you feel betrayed when the school hides important information about your kid? Do you feel scared to speak out, for fear of retaliation to yourself or your child? You’d be furious if you see kids being bullied at school but no actions are taken to correct the cause. You are enraged when the only pro-student and pro-education school board member gets bullied by union-backed board members. You are rightfully angry when the school district leadership turns a blind eye to your valid concerns and opposition.  
  
You are not alone. Many parents and community members in California are facing the same struggles as you. Whether it is ethnic studies curriculum [usurped](https://www.mindingthecampus.org/2025/05/06/leftists-weaponize-woke-words-to-push-asian-american-victimhood-in-california-ethnic-studies/) to divide, discriminate and indoctrinate, math instruction [turned](https://nypost.com/2023/07/16/progressives-war-on-teaching-math-conquers-california/) into ideological re-education, a seven-year-old [reprimanded](https://pacificlegal.org/ninth-circuit-first-grader-free-speech/) for drawing “All Lives Matter,” or a lone trustee in Palo Alto Unified [targeted](https://thecampanile.org/31502/news/board-votes-4-1-to-reassign-board-member-rowena-chiu/) with a censure for speaking up for parents and students, the struggles we contend with are omnipresent and urgent.  
  
While you may feel helpless fighting the establishment education bureaucracy, please rest assured that you are with the majority. Sadly, this majority for common sense, good education and foundational values has yet to develop leaders throughout our communities and school systems. To make matters worse, politically minded actors, represented by teachers’ unions, actively work to stifle and attack the majority with their over-the-top agendas that [cover up](https://amgreatness.com/2025/05/28/americas-dead-ed/) failures to educate, [overwhelm](https://www.forkidsandcountry.org/blog/the-sandstorm-unlike-its-membership-teacher-union-leaders-are-far-left/#none) the system with far-left ideologies and even [groom](https://californiaglobe.com/fr/it-is-not-controversial-for-four-year-old-boys-to-wear-dresses-to-school-teachers-union-affirms/) kids into transgenderism.  
  
The good news is: you can become a leader if you develop your causes and elevate the cause that resonates with you.  
  
Step by step, you can transform from advocating for your cause to spreading love to the next generation. You can transform your fury and burden of service to a track record of improving education quality. In the process, you will be sowing the fruits of student success, academic competitiveness, while embracing compassion for the parents whose rights are trumped. Only when you turn your rightful indignation into love can your fight be more enduring and impactful.  
  
We are in the midst of a culture war. Public school districts have become part of this war against our legacy and virtue. The only way to win back American hearts and minds is to fight back with a long-term strategy and with an acceptance that triumph takes more than a few battles.  
  
The kind of causes that have first turned your attention to what is going on in school districts are all noble. But you must elevate them from single district-specific issues to student success, academic quality, parental rights, educational equality, financial accountability, and self-governance. By doing so, you would be able to develop the widest spectrum of support from a diverse group of parents and stakeholders. Always keep in mind that it's a culture war that may take more than a generation of effort to win. Our ultimate objective is to win public opinion and support from students, teachers, administrators and school board members, all of whom are instrumental in changing the direction of the school districts into the right one. This process may take decades and the success in the long run hinges on your goals, values and virtues. These encompass: your respect for freedom of speech, your sacrifice for a common good, your persistence to fight, an openness to diverse opinions, your honesty, integrity and leadership to unite and win… to name a few.  
  
One of the common shortfalls of fighting isolated battles that focus on single topics is the lack of sustainability. Once the immediate problem is solved, you and your fellow advocates may just leave. For example, pandemic school shutdowns woke up many parents. Now that the pandemic is over, many anti-school-closure/anti-mandates parent advocates have disappeared from the horizon. They may believe that their job is done. But we have much bigger root problems in too many school districts.  
  
Another drawback of fighting isolated battles is the impossibility of gradual growth necessary for any value-based movement. Too often, the momentum is lost in the course of months. For example, one group of parents may start organizing after one of their beloved school board members is attacked. Nonetheless, if they don’t elevate their personal loyalty to higher values, they may alienate anyone who has honest disagreements with the board member on policy substance. Worse, personality-based advocacy campaigns can degenerate into unprincipled zero-sum games. Slowly, more and more people will be pushed out and the movement dies quietly.  
  
If there is one strategy to win the culture war, the one that matters the most is to elevate your cause. If you find the calling to and passion about your elevated cause, it doesn't matter if you are a parent of current students or not. Nor will your age or your language skills present as real obstacles. You will be able to gradually build your team, develop momentum, and win the culture war. But first be warned: it's a sacrifice you must make on your own. With love for our next generation and for our country, you will persevere.  
  
Once again, know that you are not alone and that this will be a long term fight. Some leaders from various school districts have stood up and taken charge for a while. You can consult with them. Many organizations, such as [Parents Defending Education](https://defendinged.org/), [California Policy Center](https://californiapolicycenter.org/), our group Californians for Equal Rights Foundation and [other allies](https://www.cferfoundation.org/alliance/endorse), are ready and willing to help you get started. We will equip you with knowledge and practical knowhow if you have the calling to improve the public education in your very own school district. Contact us if you are fighting in your school district and feeling alone. We are here to support.  
  
**Step1 (Elevate)**: Elevate your cause and find three causes that can best motivate you and your fellows.  
  
**Forthcoming next in our series: Step 2 (Activate)**: Make your commitment through attending school board meetings, IN PERSON and CONSISTENTLY.  

**To be continued...**

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Summer is here! Time to reflect and elevate your cause


As you may know, right after the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division issued an official  [letter](https://x.com/AAGDhillon/status/1929628638405599297)  to each public school district in California regarding protecting female student athletes, the California Department of Education (CDE)  [pushed back](https://edsource.org/2025/california-department-of-education-urges-school-districts-to-resist-trumps-threats-over-transgender-athletes/733933)  with political grandstanding, urging school districts to defy the Federal Government.

In a nutshell, on Monday (June 2), the U.S. Department of Justice warned schools against the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Bylaw 300.D, which allows biological males’ participation in girls’ sports on the basis of gender identity. The Justice Department argues that this rule violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As such, school districts implementing the CIF bylaw will be in violation of the Constitution. On Tuesday (June 3), CDE fought back in an  [open letter](https://edsource.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Update-Regarding-Compliance-with-Equal-Protection-Clause-of-U.S.-Constitution.pdf)  to all California superintendents and charter school administrators, asking them to hold the line against DOJ.

Once again,  **local educational agencies are caught in the crossfire**  between federal and state governments, with one side asserting the unconstitutionality of practicing transgenderism in interscholastic sports and the other insisting schools protect transgender athletes’ rights.

Which side are you on?

While different ideological and political persuasions underline the struggles between California’s state education bureaucracy and the Trump Administration,  **local school districts are governing public education as a local matter**. School board members, superintendents and other school district leaders must first and foremost respond to the needs, demands and voices of their local constituents – parents, students, residents, taxpayers… Now, more than ever, it is time for us to  **organize ourselves, empower fellow citizens and become proactive to advocate for positive changes and make local voices heard in our local school district**.

A recent Pew Research Center survey  [found](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/26/americans-have-grown-more-supportive-of-restrictions-for-trans-people-in-recent-years/)  that 66% of Americans favor policies that require trans athletes to compete on teams that match their sex assigned at birth. Another poll from YouGov  [confirms](https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/48685-where-americans-stand-on-20-transgender-policy-issues)  this: only 23% of Americans oppose the Justice Department’s position. If you don’t agree with CDE on this issue, you are not alone. Nor are you of the minority voice.

California’s political elites have been hijacked by fringe ideologies for far too long that their proposals are often far removed from both reality and public opinion. Thankfully, the state is not running our schools. If you agree with basic principles of fairness, equality and merit,  **reach out to your local school board trustees today**. Let them know your rightful concerns regarding our classrooms being turned into places of ideological capture and virtue signaling at the expense of fundamental fairness and equality. Let them know that you know  **your views are representative of the American public and they must acknowledge the public when directing our children’s education**.

As always, CFER is ready and willing to help you scale up your local organizing efforts, when you are ready. Just email us at  [info@cferfoundation.org](mailto:info@cferfoundation.org)  and we will get it started. CFER’s state and national  [allies](https://www.cferfoundation.org/alliance/endorse), whether in parental rights advocacy, research or policy monitoring, can also provide valuable resources for you and your local group. You will not fight alone!

We believe in our approach of changing the culture and Americans’ hearts and minds, one school district at a time. If you believe in CFER, will you  [support](https://www.cferfoundation.org/support)  us with a generous financial gift?

Thank you!

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With state-federal battles on education comes the silver lining of empowerment and participation

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. With proactive monitoring and persistent advocacy, we can effectively blunt government preferences and racial discrimination, even in deep-blue California! This being said, we are happy to report to you that **the latest legislative attempt to repeal Proposition 209 has been paused at the California Assembly**.  
  
On May 23, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee, citing budgetary constraints, decided to [postpone](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=0902680bed&e=0111f1f5cd) ACA 7 and turn it into a two-year bill. Currently, ACA 7, which seeks to repeal education-related provisions of Prop. 209, stays in the committee’s “suspense file,” a designation that most likely leads to the end of a bill’s life cycle.  
  
Although the Legislature attributes budget issues to ACA 7’s suspension, we should also note that our coordinated opposition from CFER and its partner organizations plays an important part in halting racial discrimination which would have been enacted by the bill! Since February, we have been diligently working to [raise awareness](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=6081b7ee9a&e=0111f1f5cd), register official [opposition](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=a8e1866a7f&e=0111f1f5cd) and [build alliance](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=a47ccb5df8&e=0111f1f5cd) against ACA 7. Our hard work and persistence have paid off!  
  
On the other hand, state lawmakers’ excuse of budgetary considerations is an illuminating reason for us to follow the money in our organizing and advocacy operations. We must **defund the woke, one school district at a time**. Wenyuan, in this spirit, allow me to call on you to continue to champion equality and merit in your local school district. When they don’t have enough funds, progressive _educrats_ are forced to cut unnecessary and useless spending like DEI and Ethnic Studies. This is happening in Poway Unified, Ramona Unified and more. As always, CFER is here to support you in building your own local watchdog group, when you are ready. Let us know at [info@cferfoundation.org](mailto:info@cferfoundation.org)!  
  
In a similar light, let us celebrate another victory from the Federal Government which has recently issued an executive [order](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=e5168f1b2c&e=0111f1f5cd) to reform the college accreditation process and roll back DEI-focused standards in accreditors. Thanks to a timely [proposal](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=07181c35ee&e=0111f1f5cd) by CFER Executive Vice President Gail Heriot and her colleague Mr. Peter Kirsanow at the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, this much-needed reform is now being implemented. CFER has proudly [assisted](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=219fffefb6&e=0111f1f5cd) in ramping up media outreach and voter education for the proposal.  
  
Unfortunately, many other California bills related to racial preferences, reparations and DEI, notably [AB 57](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=88574c2095&e=0111f1f5cd) (college admissions preferences for slavery descendants) are proceeding in the Legislature. We will continue to monitor every single one of them and keep you updated. Notably, the State Government has slowed down its pace to push out discriminatory proposals under the Federal Government’s watchful eyes. However, progressive lawmakers are also trying creative ways, such as using slavery descendancy as a race proxy, to circumvent the national redress. At the national level, we will also work with our national allies to amplify proposals to protect parental rights, reform accreditation and defund Minority-Serving Institutions.  
  
To advance equality and merit, CFER is proceeding with unwavering diligence. Can we count on you for a generous financial [gift](https://cferfoundation.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b78c84756813bc7a3a38500a0&id=36df754721&e=0111f1f5cd) to keep us going?  
  
As always, thank you!

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