You are receiving this email because you gave us your information through our QR code or by going to our website.
Thanks for wanting to be more involved to protect the queer kid(s) in your life.
Previous week’s emails can be found here:
https://www.rainbowparentsofne.org/blog
SBOE
This week we have a lot of information about the often overlooked State Board of Education. It is a lot to read, but it is very important that you familiarize yourself with this board that has so much sway over our kids’ education.
What is the State Board of Education?
Made up of 8 elected members who serve 4 year terms, the Nebraska State Board of Education is responsible for educational policies for the state and oversees the Commissioner of Education and the State Department of Education. Half the board is up for election every two years, with districts 1-4 up this year. You can find your district, your current representative, their contact info, board agendas, and other information here.
The SBOE members are not as well known as state senators, and yet they wield a large amount of power over our kids’ educational experiences, via control over the state curriculum. For example, in 2022, the board rejected putting in place a more inclusive sex education curriculum that would be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ kids and families. Board member, Kirk Penner, has encouraged book bans and launched a sustained attack on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), arguing that SEL acts as a “trojan horse” to bring critical race theory and gender ideology into schools. SEL is a long established, common sense philosophy in education and has previously been non controversial. It is why we have school counselors and a guidance curriculum in Nebraska schools.
On July 15, 2023, Kirk Penner posted on X that “3 of us on the board are on a mission to remove SEL and after ‘24 elections we should have the majority to have it removed.” Parents who favor anti-LGBTQ+ ideology have packed hearings whenever relevant issues are discussed, and they will vote in droves to pack the board with extremists who will not support our queer kids.
Even though many of us have never paid much attention to the Board of Education, this year it is crucial that we do! Rainbow parents and our allies may be later to organize, but we know we outnumber right wing groups like Moms4Liberty. We need to mobilize so that our queer kids can be safe in Nebraska schools.
Weekly action items!
Go here to make sure you know your district, your rep’s name and contact info, and whether the seat is up for election this year.
Consider whether you are able to contribute time or money to any of the candidates, even if they are not in your district.
The candidates who are overtly supportive of queer youth in our schools are Kristen Christensen (1), Maggie Douglas (2) and Liz Renner (4).
In district 3, the more reasonable of the two conservative candidates is Bill McAllister (although we cannot confirm whether he supports queer youth, he is the less extreme of the two candidates)
Can you send a few dollars to Kristen, Maggie or Liz?
Maybe knock on doors or make phone calls or write postcards or attend an event? Contact friends and family and make sure they vote for them?
Bonus action: If you want to read more details about SEL so you can counter misinformation, you can check out the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and also the Nebraska Department of Education website.
Thank you for taking the time to read week four!
Don’t forget, you can find our previous email action items here: https://www.rainbowparentsofne.org/blog
Stay tuned for more action steps from Rainbow Parents of Nebraska next week. If you have questions or suggestions for us, please contact us at the links below!
