How You Can Help

Members of the School Board and Superintendent:

My name is [YOUR NAME]. I am a taxpaying parent of a student attending [NAME OF SCHOOL] in this district.

I am here tonight to address the district's double standard on classroom neutrality and spending priorities. While this administration prepares to close between 10 and 20 neighborhood elementary schools citing an emergency budget deficit, millions in taxpayer dollars continue to be spent on administrative overhead, activist consulting, and non-academic programs.

At the same time, classroom walls display political banners like Black Lives Matter and Pride flags under the banner of 'inclusion,' while parents who request viewpoint neutrality are shut down or retaliated against. Neutrality means schools focus on core academics: reading, math, and science, where fewer than half of our students are proficient.

Every child deserves a welcoming school, but public school classrooms are not platforms for adult political movements. We demand that you keep neighborhood schools open, end political flag exemptions in classrooms, and ensure full transparency regarding student gender support plans.

Thank you.

TO: Portland Public Schools Complaint Coordinator ([email protected])
CC: Office for Civil Rights ([email protected]), [PRINCIPAL EMAIL]
DATE: [DATE]
FROM: [YOUR NAME], Parent/Guardian of [STUDENT NAME, OR 'CONFIDENTIAL STUDENT']
SCHOOL: [NAME OF SCHOOL]

SUBJECT: FORMAL COMPLAINT - VIOLATION OF DISTRICT NEUTRALITY / PARENTAL RIGHTS

Dear Complaint Coordinator:

Please accept this formal complaint pursuant to the PPS Uniform Complaint Procedure.

1. INCIDENT DESCRIPTION:
On [DATE], at [SCHOOL NAME], the following policy violation occurred:
[DESCRIBE INCIDENT: E.G., DISPLAY OF ACTIVIST POLITICAL BANNERS IN CLASSROOM / FACILITATION OF STUDENT GENDER TRANSITION PLAN WITHOUT PARENTAL NOTICE / DISTRIBUTION OF SURVEY QUESTIONING PERSONAL BELIEFS].

2. POLICY VIOLATIONS:
This action directly violates the district's stated duty of educational neutrality, infringes upon parental oversight rights protected by Oregon law and FERPA, and creates an environment where personal and political activism replaces objective academic instruction.

3. REQUESTED REMEDIAL ACTION:
I request the following remedies:
a. An immediate written investigation into this matter.
b. The removal of all non-neutral political banners, signs, or materials from the classroom.
c. Immediate written confirmation that no school personnel will alter my child's official or unofficial records, pronouns, or facilities access without prior written parental notification and consent.

Please provide written confirmation of receipt and notice of the district's investigation timeline within five business days.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER]
[YOUR ADDRESS]

Re: Civil Rights Complaint Appeal against Portland Public Schools (PPS)
Complainant: [YOUR NAME]
Respondent District: Portland Public Schools District 1J

Summary of Appeal:
I filed a formal complaint with Portland Public Schools on [DATE OF LOCAL FILING] regarding ideological discrimination and violation of parental transparency at [SCHOOL NAME]. The district [FAILED TO RESPOND WITHIN STATUTORY TIMELINES / ISSUED AN INSUFFICIENT DETERMINATION ON (DATE)].

Under Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR 581-002-0001 through 581-002-0040), school districts receiving state funds are prohibited from subjecting students and families to discriminatory practices or denying parental access to educational records.

I request that the Oregon Department of Education open a state-level investigation into PPS's systematic refusal to enforce viewpoint neutrality and parental transparency.

Attached: Initial complaint to PPS, district response (if any), supporting documentary evidence.

Subject: Support Classroom Neutrality and Parental Rights in Oregon Schools

Dear [SENATOR / REPRESENTATIVE LAST NAME]:

My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am your constituent residing at [YOUR ADDRESS] in [YOUR CITY], Oregon.

I am writing to urge you to introduce and support legislation in the upcoming legislative session that mandates viewpoint neutrality in Oregon K-12 public classrooms and establishes clear statutory protections for parental rights.

Public schools exist to deliver quality instruction in core academic disciplines: math, science, reading, and history. Unfortunately, school districts like Portland Public Schools and Salem-Keizer are permitting political activism, allowing selective political flags in classrooms while censoring dissenting voices, and implementing gender transition plans without parental notification. At the same time, Oregon has suspended reading and math graduation standards through 2028 and is preparing to close dozens of neighborhood schools.

Our public school system is losing the confidence of families. We need legislation that:
1. Prohibits partisan or political banners and flags from public school classrooms.
2. Mandates written parental notification if a student requests a change in name, pronoun, or accommodations.
3. Restores mandatory proficiency testing in basic reading and math for all high school graduates.

Will you stand with Oregon parents and introduce or sponsor legislation to restore neutrality and academic standards to our schools?

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR PHONE NUMBER]