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Sunday, January 22, 2023

Make This SC Education Senate Bill S424 Happen!

 

Senator Brian Adams, Republican - Berkeley District 44 - Berkeley, Charleston & Dorchester Counties 

On January 19th education legislation was pre-filed by SC Sen. Brian Adams of District 44. 

Folks, there is no doubt in my mind THIS IS THE LEGISLATION our state of South Carolina desperately needs to be passed and signed by the Governor asap!

Below is a 10-point summary of this legislation written by a concerned SC parent and child advocate who has experienced firsthand the destructive nature of woke ideology in our schools and workplaces. He wishes to remain anonymous. Kudos to concerned citizens like this one who help to get the ball rolling on making sure a legislator files good legislation with teeth to hold our education system accountable.

This is a 10-point summary of bill S.424 "South Carolina Integrity in Education Act". It is the most comprehensive, robust, and fair bill dealing with indoctrination in state-funded schools. Its premise is simple: If you want to push discriminatory ideology on others, then you may not use State taxpayer money to do it.

1. LEGAL GROUNDING: The bill bases its arguments on rights enshrined in our founding documents and the Civil Rights Act. This is important because any such bill has to withstand court challenges.
2. USE OF CONCEPTS: Since labels and definitions of ideologies constantly evolve, the bill instead addresses discriminatory concepts and their implementation, focusing on principles of human dignity on which we all agree.
3. NON-PARTISAN: It addresses ideologies from both sides of the political spectrum, not just CRT.
4. FOCUSED ON EDUCATION (Early Childhood through Higher Ed)
Captures all State-Funded Educational Entities (SFEE) receiving State funds or grants, directly or through intermediaries:
• Public, charter, or private childcare, schools, and higher learning
• Providers of instructional or training materials
• Providers of books and media content, surveys, screenings, etc.
• Accreditation or licensing entities
• “Oversight Authorities” (State or local agencies, school boards, school authorizers, board of directors, or entities having administrative oversight)
5. ADDRESSES ALL CURRENT INDOCTRINATION AND ACTIVISM ISSUES:
• Critical Race Theory (DEI, Anti-racism, Culturally Responsive Teaching, SEL, etc.)
• Sexualization of children (Comprehensive Sex Ed, SEL, inappropriate and obscene materials, etc.)
• Conducting psychological interventions (SEL, counseling, etc.)
• Invasion of student and family privacy; withholding information from parents
• Gender ideology and Queer Theory (pronouns, non-binary, etc.)
• Compelled speech
• Historical revisionism; presenting unproven claims or theory as fact
• Promotion of social or political causes
6. TRANSPARENCY: To ensure transparency, it requires all places of learning to make their curricula and list of instructional materials available to parents and the public.
7. ENFORCEMENT: Establishes a clear protocol for enforcement and corrective action:
• Starts with local school entity (Principal or school Head))
• Appeal to Oversight Authority (School Board, Authorizer, etc.)
• Appeal to State Attorney General, who reviews and files claim in court. Court decides.
• If violation is determined, 20% of funding is forfeited until compliance is demonstrated.
8. THIRD PARTIES: Requires that all Federal or third-party funding, resources, materials, etc. are subject to the same compliance with this law.
9. RIGHT TO OPT-OUT: Parents and students have a right to opt-out of instruction they believe violates the law (unless a court determines that the matter does not violate it).
10. RIGHT TO PRIVATE LEGAL ACTION: Complainant has rights to pursue private legal action and have court fees paid if they prevail.


The filed bill legislative summary is as follows:
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 59-29-12 SO AS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS IN STATE-FUNDED PLACES OF LEARNING WITH AN EDUCATION FOCUSED ON EXCELLENCE AND INTEGRITY; EQUIP THEM TO THINK INDEPENDENTLY AND CRITICALLY; SUPPORT EDUCATORS BY MAINTAINING A LEARNING AND WORK ENVIRONMENT UNENCUMBERED BY SOCIAL OR POLITICAL ACTIVISM; TREAT STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES OF SCHOOLS WITH DIGNITY AS UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT STEREOTYPING OR SCAPEGOATING; PROVIDE INSTRUCTION FREE FROM IDEOLOGICAL INDOCTRINATION OR COERCION; FOSTER AND DEFEND INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH AS WELL AS FREEDOM FROM COMPELLED SPEECH; REQUIRE CLEAR DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE TEACHING OF THEORY AND FACT; REQUIRE FULL TRANSPARENCY OF CURRICULA; PROTECT THE PRIVACY AND INNOCENCE OF CHILDREN AND GUARD THEM AGAINST OBSCENE AND MATURE MATERIALS; RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS AS THEIR CHILDREN’S DECISION-MAKERS FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING INCLUDING EMOTIONAL AND SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT; DEFER TO PARENTS AS THEIR CHILDREN’S PRIMARY SOURCE OF MORAL AND SOCIAL VALUES; ALLOW PARENTS TO OPT OUT OF ACTIVITIES THAT VIOLATE THIS ACT; ESTABLISH A CLEAR PROTOCOL FOR REPORTING VIOLATIONS AND ALLOWING LOCAL ENTITIES TO ADDRESS AND CORRECT ISSUES; AND REQUIRE PRIVACY AND NONDISCLOSURE DURING THE INVESTIGATION PROCESS.




You can find the entire text of the legislation at this link: 


Folks, WE NEED YOU to contact ALL the SC SENATORS in Columbia and tell them you would like to see THEIR name as a co-sponsor of this legislation. Find your legislator at this link and call or email them asap!  SC parents and children are depending on YOU to make this legislation come to fruition as law! Here's the link to contact ALL SC SENATORS in one easy email: South Carolina Legislature Online - Send Message (scstatehouse.gov)

We also need a SC House Member to draft a companion bill to get the ball rolling in the House!  Contact your SC House Member and ask them to take a look at this legislation and ask them if they would be willing to draft that companion bill needed. You can find your SC House Representative and email them at this link: South Carolina Legislature Online - Member Biography (scstatehouse.gov)

WE CAN DO THIS FOLKS...but it's going to REQUIRE ACTION ON YOUR PART! 

MAKE SC SENATE BILL 424 HAPPEN! 


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