Parents for Centre County Schools

Parents for Centre County Schools (PCCS) exists to provide Centre County parents a means of respectfully and firmly engaging with Centre County school boards efficiently and effectively in order to ensure that their values are represented in the education of their children, and that boards are accountable to those who elect them. To accomplish this, VCCS is organized to:

1. establish a platform for Centre County parents to speak with one voice to school boards.
2. convene regular meetings aimed at actionable discussions and outcomes, and which give opportunities for parents and subject matter experts to share and exchange information.
3. share collective experiences and inform the broader community of problematic issues in schools, and to work toward resolutions for those issues.

• Traditional education. Schools should focus on establishing competence and excellence in the hard skills of reading, writing, mathematics, etc. Instruction in ethics, morality, sexuality, and religion are rightfully the domain of parents, not public schools. It is inappropriate for public schools to presume to teach what right is and wrong with respect to these subjects.
• Social Issues. We have no public position as a group on matters regarding gender and sexuality, other than the assertion that truth claims in these areas must remain outside the purview of our K12 public schools. This includes critical theory and critical race theory, and any derivative premises for instruction in other domains of education. Parents who disagree on these matters hold their views in good conscience, and their children must not be compelled to receive instruction that violates their firmly held convictions.
• Mutual respect. We strive to cultivate respect of our shared humanity and freedoms, even if respect of particular opposing ideas is not possible. We maintain that those who disagree on matters of ethics, morality, and religion should do so amicably. We aim to maintain civility despite disagreements in these areas. Ad hominem attacks and strawman characterizations divide our community where unity is otherwise possible.
• Transparency: Transparency of curriculum, and curriculum that represents the values of parents, is necessary to build and maintain trust with the community. It should be regarded as deeply concerning if teachers and schools are attempting to conceal in any way what is being taught to our children.
• Accountability. Teachers, administrators, and school boards must be accountable to the values of their communities. Communities should not be coerced and compelled to be subject to the values of a top-down approach to education.
• Parent-led decisions. There are “experts” on many sides of the issues, and parents must be able to disagree with decisions made based on “expert” guidance. When they do, they must have the freedom to opt their children out of objectionable programming, content, and curriculum with no adverse consequences. Further, parents must have the ability to influence the curricula used in our public schools.