Who is TOPS of SDUHSD?
Taxpayers Oversight for Parents and Students of SDUHSD, or 'TOPS' is a General Purpose Committee. Under Chairwoman Marci Strange's leadership, TOPS is dedicated to holding SDUHSD as well as other influential school boards in California accountable in many areas:
Safety:
Expose and reform inappropriate curriculums, teachers or materials at SDUHSD and glaring safety issues in bathrooms and classrooms.
If any of the above has harmed your child, a TOPS member can help advocate for you at the podium or in-person meetings.
It is critical to vote for independent school board Trustees, not those beholden to the teachers union.
School Board Trustee Accountability
A School Board Trustee's job is to prioritize students and parents while working fairly with unions.
Their focus must be on traditional academics - Not politics or ideologies in classrooms, safety and fiscal responsibility.
Fiscal responsibility
Expose and fight wasteful spending and services that do not directly benefit students.
Lawsuits have been very costly and should be avoided. For example, failing to provide services for special needs students has cost SDUHSD millions in lost lawsuits and attorneys fees.
TOPS has and will continue to speak out for those who do not have a voice-Both students, parents and taxpayers.
Endorse, promote, and campaign for independent school board trustees
Help make it a fair fight! Donate to and support independent school board candidates endorsed by TOPS of SDUHSD. Union-supported candidates have an unfair advantage as the teachers union uses their considerable funds and infrastructure to support their chosen candidates. Once elected, those trustees are beholden to the union for their positions. They take guidance and counsel from the union when they vote.
The teachers have a union to look out for their interests. Parents, students, and taxpayers need independent board Trustees to look out for them.
We also fight for the protection of kids and parents at the state level. For example, TOPS of SDUHSD helps ProtectKidsCA.com to pass laws that prevent boys in girls competitive sports and private spaces, require school staff to notify parents if their child is mentally suffering from bullying, suicidal tendencies or want to change genders and prohibit irreversible damage to children.
NO ONE is a child’s best advocate other than their parents. Abusive parents need Child Protective Services.
OTHER: TOPS of SDUHSD has organized and attended rallies for all of the above. We visit and speak at various school boards to learn what is happening nearby and how issues are best handled. We will inform you by newsletters detailing current events and proposed parent rights laws that are broken by elected officials. Hopefully, this will energize you to take action with TOPS.
Many members of TOPS fought and helped SDUHSD prevent unjust recalls, remove superintendents from school boards, campaign for quality, independent school board Trustees, fight for student services, parents rights, and financial responsibility so your taxpayers dollars are spent wisely.
6. PRIVACY POLICY: Emails and information you share is private and won’t be shared without your authorization.
7. TERMS OF SERVICE: Informational and volunteer only. Tickets to events may be sold to cover costs.
TOPS TEAM resides in SDUHSD
Marci Strange, Chairwoman
Hui Zhao, Treasurer
Nirit Luchans, Secretary
TOPS ADVISORS reside in SDUHSD
Linda Sax, Advisor
Matt Wheeler, Advisor
Meg Gray, Advisor
Mike Hayutin, Advisor
Ming Zhu, Advisor
Gail Ovian, Advisor
Why TOPS Was Formed
TOPS started because community members from soccer mom’s to detectives became concerned. Certain school board members and CA legislation consistently and unanimously prioritize teacher's union-proposals and politics over services and traditional academics for kids. Simultaneously, they remove parents rights.
Today, SDUHSD is currently controlled by a union-endorsed, school board majority that has promoted politics, sex & gender preference ideologies at schools.
TOPS seeks to counterbalance extreme or misguided policies with common sense and proven strategies for a world-class education for ALL students--Not just some.
Teachers Union and Their Endorsed School Board Trustee's Actions
The obsession with LGBTQ+ material and gender ideology is out of proportion. Given the small percentage of students who fall in this category, unreasonable demands by special interest groups supporting the union have created chaos and division. They have veered the focus away from traditional academics.
TOPS believes ALL students and parents must be treated equally with respect, dignity and acceptance. This is not only fair, but it is the law.
A great education starts with parents, teachers and students working together.
However, some teachers have been encouraged to keep secrets from parents about their kids’ sexual or gender preferences.
Teen suicide rates have increased dramatically within the last few years.
Teachers or staff keeping students’ secrets is wrong. It has proven to be dangerous, unconstitutional, and violates parents' rights.
Excessive pay raises, health care subsidies and bonuses that exceed San Diego County and most school districts' pay in California have been granted unquestionably at SDUHSD.
These increases are approved by the same Trustees whom the teacher's union donated to their campaigns.
This creates a conflict of interest in addition to a deficit in the school budget, resulting in less student services for kids.
Meanwhile, CA state test scores have consistently dropped since 2020.
Why are union-controlled Trustees rewarding instructors for lower test scores and a drop in enrollment?
On 12/13/2022 Brown Act Violations by all Trustees (to whom the teacher's union donated to their campaigns) censored the public and an elected official.
Opinions and facts opposing the teacher's union proposal came out much later, but their resolution had already passed.
That resolution alone cost taxpayers millions by increasing their health care subsidy over 3X.
A history of relentlessly trying to remove independent, elected school board Trustees NOT endorsed or funded by the teacher's union is astounding.
In the spring of 2021, The Faculty Association (SDUHSD's teacher's union) even hired out-of-state canvassers and issued them a script full of falsehoods to recite after teachers stopped going door to door.
The union was unsuccessful in removing independent Trustees.
The union’s misleading and unproven accusations took thousands of dollars away from SDUHSD’s excellent teachers who pay several hundred in dues each year.
Anti-Student and Parent Legislation in California
AB1078, authored by Corey Jackson and Alex Lee removes rights from parents and local school boards to remove or amend inappropriate school materials.
The power goes to the state. This includes pornography in school libraries, teachers discussing their own sexual preferences, and Anti-American sentiments.
This is a power grab by the State, with the goal of taking away local control.
This is not only alarming but unconstitutional.
AB665 is from Senator Scott Wiener that will permit 12-year-olds to consent to going to a residential shelter without parent consent or abuse charges.
If parents or guardians disagree, question the "professionals," or their child's new gender identity, kids could be taken away from their loving families and put into a foster home.
Does this violate 1st Amendment rights funded by taxpayers?
Another Weiner bill: SB 407 Requires foster parents to pledge allegiance to the LGBTQ+ ideology.
Given foster homes are hard to come by, this removes many good, "would-be-homes."
This bill infringes upon the rights of all American's free thinking, free speech, and beliefs.