Off to the races! CPC’s new Candidate Academy prepares parents to run for school board.

As California parents continue to look for ways to take back control of their neighborhood schools from the state’s teachers’ unions, many concerned parents are considering running for their local school board. Parents elected to their school boards have the power to hold the frontline against the unions’ unabashed agenda to push Critical Race Theory and radical gender ideology in schools instead of teaching academics.

But how do potential candidates learn more about what it really takes to run for local office and how to launch their first campaign? 

Enter CPC’s newly-released CLEO Candidate Academy, a nonpartisan online video series that walks aspiring candidates through the steps of preparing to run for local office by addressing fundamental questions such as:  

• What you should consider when deciding to run for office;

• How to understand the political landscape and connect with supporters; 

• How to develop a campaign team and manage campaign laws and regulations; and 

• How to best communicate your message with voters.

The course is presented in a discussion format between California Local Elected Officials (CLEO) director Mari Barke, President of the Orange County Board of Education, and Lance Christensen, CPC’s Vice President of Education Policy and Government Affairs and candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, along with additional segments presented by CPC Vice President Jackson Reese, a former campaign consultant. The training includes written materials, checklists and resources for candidates as well as activities to complete to help trainees do their own personal assessment as they consider a future candidacy. 

With the filing period to run for school board and other local offices in California set to open in just ten days on July 18th, CPC’s virtual candidate training is right on time. The training is available for free to CPC supporters using the access code “CPCFREE” after enrolling in the Candidate Academy at calelecteds.org.

Lawsuit against Gov. Newsom to end the state of emergency heats up.

The Orange County Board of Education filed a new legal action this week in their lawsuit to force Gov. Gavin Newsom to end the statewide state of emergency he enacted in March 2020 in response to the pandemic. 

“While Governor Newsom airs television ads in Florida, Californians are hurting, especially our children,” said Mari Barke, President of the Board. “Emergency rule has been used to deprive people of many things during the COVID-19 pandemic, from jobs to in-person educational instruction. But the biggest loss has been the loss of local control and access to the political process.”

Barke explained that the motion filed this week on behalf of the OCBE and Children’s Health Defense calls on the Governor to end the state of emergency now since there is no “extreme peril to people or property” and the magnitude of the threat does not exceed the government’s ability to address it, which are required to maintain a state of emergency.

Barke said it’s time for Newsom to “give California back to Californians” and restore normal government across the state.

No word from the vacationing governor on whether he will end his emergency orders and avoid costly litigation.

L.A. court strikes down LAUSD’s vaccine mandate for students.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge this week struck down L.A. Unified School District's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students. The court held that the power to require children to be vaccinated to attend school belongs to the state not school districts.

The ruling was a huge win for Let Them Breathe, the parent group that brought the case against LAUSD as well as a similar case against the San Diego Unified School District, which was also a success. The group vowed to continue fighting against COVID-19 vaccine mandates for kids, including those in place at other California schools.

“Judge Beckloff’s ruling confirms that individual school districts do not have the authority to impose local vaccination requirements in excess of statewide requirements,” said Arie L. Spangler, who was part of the legal team behind the lawsuit. 

The victory is another big win for California parents who organized and took action in response to the overreaching mandates advanced by California’s teachers’ unions during the pandemic. 

Will you support CPC today?

California Policy Center is breaking new ground to help Californians take back our great state! From our Legislative Summit in Sacramento last month to our newly-launched Candidate Academy, we are empowering parents, parent groups and concerned Californians to organize, advocate and run for office. If you are inspired by the work we are doing, will you consider making a tax-deductible donation to CPC today?


Your generous donation will help advance the movement to save California. Click HERE to access our secure online portal. Thank you for your partnership!
 

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