Parental Rights

Notarfrancesco: TRAILS goes beyond SEL—it’s activism wrapped in therapy language

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories / / , , , , , , ,

Should teachers in Colorado K-12 classrooms be performing daily assessments on the thoughts and feelings of your children?

At the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, Pueblo D70 School District controversially implemented a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum which Superintendent Ronda Rein described in an email from September 24, 2024 as a “daily assessment of thoughts and feelings.”

SEL is promoted to parents and school administrators as the panacea for kids’ mental health concerns, and SEL advocates believe the concepts benefit students by providing important emotional training which leads to academic success, healthy relationships, and proper civic engagement.

Notarfrancesco: TRAILS goes beyond SEL—it’s activism wrapped in therapy language Read More »

Sencenbaugh: DEI and CRT may sound noble, but they’re driving academic mediocrity in schools

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Top Stories / / , , , , , ,

If you are on the left or the right, Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the average classroom does not look like one tends to believe. Both are far more subtle. Thus, any debate on these issues devolves into both sides yelling at one another with neither actually listening.

During a House Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) declared, “We can stop with the nonsense because K-12 was not teaching critical race theory…in our country K-12 is not learning critical race theory. Just for those who are unfamiliar.” 

Having taught in both Texas and Colorado, I can tell you that she is not being completely honest. While she is correct that “CRT” is not directly taught in any K-12 school or part of any state standards, it would be dishonest to believe that the ideas behind CRT are not taught in our schools. I have observed classrooms and read over lessons that assume CRT to be accurate.

Sencenbaugh: DEI and CRT may sound noble, but they’re driving academic mediocrity in schools Read More »

Enos: Colorado’s 2025 session pushed the most woke agenda we’ve ever seen

Christian Home Educators of Colorado, Approved, Commentary, State / / , , , , , , , ,

“Woke” does not begin to describe the ideological beliefs of the majority in the Colorado legislature. They have become bold in their desire to reorder our lives in accordance with two basic ideological beliefs. First, there is no intrinsic value to human life. It is a commodity to be disposed of at will, and the destruction of pre-born life is a required service in every emergency room. Second, there is no such thing as a person’s sex; it is merely a “gender identity” seen through “gender expression.”

Ryan Anderson explains that the origins of “trans” thinking come from cultural breakdown and fear, among other things. “Too many people were afraid to say that the emperor has no clothes,” he reasons. The transgender religion has taken Colorado by storm. These beliefs were the basis of the last two weeks and final days of the 2025 Colorado Legislative Session.

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Notarfrancesco: Pueblo D70 Schools handed kids’ emotional data to political NGOs without parental consent

Commentary, Approved, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories / / , , , , ,

It is said there is no such thing as a free lunch.  One small school district in Pueblo, Colorado, recently learned that a free lunch can be served with a side of community outrage.

When the Pueblo D70 Board of Education unanimously voted in March of 2024 to “accept” a significant in-kind gift of $700,000 from the organization TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students), did they realize what they were implementing in district classrooms? 

D70 accepted a “gift” of controversial psychosocial educational content, financed and promoted by multi-million-dollar non-governmental organizations dedicated to transforming the world through social change.

Notarfrancesco: Pueblo D70 Schools handed kids’ emotional data to political NGOs without parental consent Read More »

Colorado Republicans: Effort to save taxpayers money ‘shredded’ by Democrats this session

denvergazette.com, Approved, State / / , , , , , , ,

Republican lawmakers, who are in the minority at the state Capitol, said they saw little success in their campaign to save residents money this year, as Democrats “shredded” that goal.

At the beginning of the session, Republicans unveiled a series of measures that, they insisted, would save the average Colorado family $4,500 each year.

“We had hopes to make life more affordable,” said Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen of Monument.

Colorado Republicans: Effort to save taxpayers money ‘shredded’ by Democrats this session Read More »

Gimelshteyn: CPAN files federal complaint over D70’s deceptive TRAILS program violating rights

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories / / , , , , , , , , ,

On April 25th, the Colorado Parent Advocacy Network (CPAN) filed a formal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), urging an investigation into Pueblo County School District 70 (D70) and its use of the “Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students Social Emotional Learning” (TRAILS) program. 

Our complaint is a direct response to the district’s reckless decision to embed this program into classrooms without parental consent, without transparency, and in direct violation of federal law.

TRAILS, which was deceptively marketed as a “gift” to the district, is directly connected to the Tides Foundation, a radical political nonprofit. Under TRAILS, students are subjected to mental health screenings, data collection on their emotions and coping skills, and exposure to controversial content, including advertisements promoting organizations like Trans Lifeline.

Gimelshteyn: CPAN files federal complaint over D70’s deceptive TRAILS program violating rights Read More »

Cole: The hidden risks of gender-affirming care demand Colorado’s restraint

Commentary, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories / / , , , ,

Colorado has embraced gender-affirming care for minors, covering treatments like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and, in rare cases, surgeries through Medicaid and other state programs. 

While intended to address gender dysphoria, these interventions pose significant long-term dangers to children, potentially causing irreversible harm, with limited evidence of sustained mental health benefits. The rise in gender identity issues among minors may be fueled by social media influence, mental health challenges, and parental dynamics, raising concerns about premature medical decisions.

Cole: The hidden risks of gender-affirming care demand Colorado’s restraint Read More »

Sturm: Wisdom gained after debating a Pronoun Policy as a theater company board member

Commentary, Approved, State, Substack / / , , , , , ,

What would you do if the state called you an unfit parent — not for hurting your child, but for refusing to pretend your daughter is your son?

That’s the reality Colorado families could soon face under a bill advancing in the state legislature. And in Maryland, the Supreme Court is now weighing whether parents have any say at all over LGBTQ content taught in elementary school.

Policies once dismissed as fringe are ubiquitous. Silence shouldn’t become complicity.

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Backlash ignored: Senate approves HB25-1312 without parental rights protections

State, Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories / / , , , , ,

Proponents hail the bill as a civil rights milestone for transgender youth. But Republicans say it strips parental rights, embeds compelled speech into law and threatens custody in future court cases. After weeks of public backlash, failed compromise efforts, and a marathon Senate floor debate, Colorado lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to HB25-1312 – a bill that critics say severs parents from decisions about their children’s identities in school.

Backlash ignored: Senate approves HB25-1312 without parental rights protections Read More »

“Parents Last”: Senate Democrats Advance HB25-1312 Despite Mass Opposition, Custody Concerns

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories / / , , , ,

Colorado’s controversial “Kelly Loving Act” is one step away from becoming law, after the state Senate advanced HB25-1312 in a party-line vote Monday night. The bill passed 23-12 following hours of floor debate—nearing an end to a legislative saga that’s drawn over 700 would-be testifiers, more than 17,000 emails from concerned constituents, and ongoing warnings from legal experts, parents, and educators.

The bill started as an expansion of the Colorado Anti-discrimination Act (CADA), aiming to add gender identity and expression as protected categories in schools, courts, and beyond. Even after key changes, Republicans say it still threatens parental rights and opens the door to new legal trouble for those who disagree with progressive gender policies.

“Parents Last”: Senate Democrats Advance HB25-1312 Despite Mass Opposition, Custody Concerns Read More »