Toolkits
Discover our Parent Union Toolkits designed to help you be an informed and effective education advocate in your community.
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Search our library of Toolkits by category or keyword to return these free resources.
- School Boards
- Public Records Requests
- Parental Rights
- Legislation
- Interdistrict Transfers
- Education Finance
- Curriculum
- Academic Achievement
With this narrated tutorial, learn how to navigate the CAASPP dashboard, find results for a particular student group, see data for the last three years for a particular cohort, compare the performance of different entities, and more!
It’s important for parents and voters to understand how California’s K-12 public education system works. This toolkit provides an overview of how California’s public schools are governed and funded.
This guide explains what charter schools are and why they consistently deliver strong results for students. It outlines how charters are held accountable and how parents can pursue charter options in their community.
This guide explains why homeschooling has surged in California. It also outlines student performance trends, reasons families choose homeschooling, California’s homeschool laws and family support networks.
This in-depth brief explains how decades of failed reading methods have contributed to California’s literacy crisis. It outlines the science-backed approaches that work, steps districts and the state are taking to improve instruction, and what parents can do to ensure their children receive effective support.
This toolkit outlines the key resources for understanding how California schools are performing — from statewide assessments like CAASPP and NAEP to school- and district-level tools such as SARCs and LARCs. It simplifies where to find reliable data, how to interpret performance reports, and what to do when information is missing.
This toolkit shows how to track political donations to school board, local, and state candidates. It walks you through where to find campaign finance records, how to read FPPC forms, and how to identify who is funding the candidates shaping your schools.
This toolkit explains how parents and community members can use California’s Public Records Act to access budgets, curriculum materials, and other documents from their local school district. It walks you through how to make a request, what agencies are required to provide, and what to do if a district resists compliance.
If you’ve ever considered running for school board, now is the time to lead. This toolkit explains how to get on the ballot, assemble a campaign team, stay compliant with election laws, and navigate the required forms so you can launch a successful campaign.
California spends nearly $23,000 per student, but understanding how that money is collected and allocated isn’t always simple. This toolkit breaks down where the money comes from, how it’s allocated, and how parents can monitor district spending.
Leginfo is an essential tool for any advocate who wants to be informed about what’s happening in California’s legislature. This video guide will show you how to use it,where to submit position letters, and how to find keyr esources to aid you in your advocacy efforts.
This toolkit is designed for school board trustees who must navigate personnel issues, Brown Act communication limits, and the challenges of three-member boards. It offers best-practice guidance and includes a sample letter trustees can use to communicate with their community.
The Brown Act protects the right of the public to attend and participate in local government meetings in California. This video tutorial walks you through how to locate and read school board agendas so you can identify what topics will be discussed and prepare to give public comment. It also provides insights on how school board meetings work.
This toolkit explains why the Executive Committee is the most influential part of a school board and why new trustees should seek to lead it. Trustees will learn how to secure these roles and hit the ground running in their first months on the board.
This toolkit explains what consent agendas are, how they allow school boards to bundle routine items for a single vote, and why advocates must review them carefully. It outlines how controversial issues sometimes get buried in consent calendars and what steps you can take to pull items for public discussion.
This toolkit explains the rights citizens have under California law to access information, speak at meetings, review curriculum, and hold school boards accountable. It outlines how agendas, public comment, and follow-up advocacy ensure your concerns are heard — and how to elevate issues when boards fail to listen.
Understand how board policies, administrative regulations, and bylaws guide school district governance. Plus, know where to find these rules to better track how your board operates.
This toolkit explains how AB 1955 affects parental notification policies and warns districts about the legal risks of adopting practices that conceal information from parents while litigation is pending. It outlines what boards must consider regarding district communication, FERPA compliance, and policy revisions.
This toolkit gives school boards a ready-to-use ordinance to increase curriculum transparency and rebuild trust with parents. It outlines key requirements for making materials and review processes accessible to parents under California law.
This toolkit provides a sample ordinance school boards can use to close the copyright loophole often used to deny public records requests and make district operations more transparent.
This toolkit summarizes the Mahmoud v. Taylor decision and how it affects parental notification and opt-out rights for gender and sexuality instruction. It offers clear guidance for school boards on updating policies, honoring constitutional protections, and communicating with families.
This sample letter gives parents ready-to-use language to excuse their child from lessons or school practices involving gender identity, pronouns, or related LGBTQ+ content when it conflicts with their family’s religious beliefs.
This toolkit explains how California’s legislative process works and shows advocates the most effective ways to influence bills at every stage—from committee hearings to floor votes to the governor’s desk.
This toolkit walks parents through how to apply for an interdistrict transfer, including deadlines, required documents, district policies, and how to appeal denials.
This toolkit shows parents how to monitor their school board, make impactful public comments, organize effectively, and escalate concerns when boards fail to respond.