Parent Toolkit

Step 6: Meet with a School or District Decision-Maker

Previously, you identified who has the power to make the changes you want and who to approach first to request those changes. This initial meeting could be with the principal, district curriculum director, superintendent, or school board member. Either call the school office to make an appointment or send an initial e-mail or letter outlining your concerns.

ORGANIZE

Coordinate a small representative group to attend the meeting, possibly including a parent, student, and health professional. Determine roles for each of the participants, allowing each participant the opportunity to be heard in an organized way. Create talking points, and divide them among the group.

SHARE YOUR CONCERNS, ASK QUESTIONS & MAKE YOUR REQUESTS

When you meet with the decisionmaker be prepared to have a discussion. Share your concerns, listen to their perspective, ask questions and CLEARLY state your demands to provide students with effective comprehensive sex education, and to bring the school into compliance with the California Education Code. Provide information about teacher training resources and refer them to the California School Board Association's model policy for sex education and HIV prevention education (these and other resources for administrators can be found under our Resources for Administrators page). Make sure to leave a fact sheet and a written copy of your requests.

ASSESS THE SITUATION

Is the person open to or supportive of your concerns? If so, work together on a plan to fix the problem and meet your requests. If the person doesn’t seem supportive, continue to press your cause, knowing that you may need to go up to the next level of authority to make change happen.

ASK FOR DEFINED NEXT STEPS AND A CLEAR TIMELINE

Ask for a commitment to move to compliance and keep track of these commitments.