California Unity Statement for Public Education

We are committed to the success of all students and affirm the fundamental mission of public education: to prepare young people to be informed, capable, and productive members of society. This means equipping every student with strong foundational skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking—skills that are essential for success in life, work, and citizenship.

We believe students should learn the full, honest history of our nation—including the struggles, injustices, achievements, and contributions of all groups—so they can engage thoughtfully in civic life. We reject educational frameworks that permanently define people as “oppressors” or “oppressed.” Such labels should not be used to confine any group to a fixed moral status across generations. Reducing the human story to grievance and victimhood undermines personal agency, discourages students from taking ownership of their futures, and distorts the principles that have enabled generations of Americans to rise and thrive: equality of opportunity, individual liberty, and responsibility.

We believe that the classroom must remain a place of academic growth, not political influence. Curricula and instruction should reflect our shared commitment to objective learning, academic integrity, and the pursuit of knowledge. Lessons that divide students based on immutable characteristics such as race, sex, or ethnic background—rather than fostering unity and individual merit—have no place in our schools. These principles are so fundamental to California’s principles and values that they are enshrined in California Ed. Code sections 200, 51225.3(a)(1)(G)(v), 51500, 60044, & 60045(a).

We believe the role of teachers is to educate, not to indoctrinate. This is consistent with California Ed. Code section 49091.12, which confirms that a student “may not be compelled to affirm or disavow any particular or privately held world view, religious doctrine or political opinion.” Educators who use the classroom as a platform for activism—regardless of ideology—undermine the trust placed in our schools by parents and the public. We oppose any misuse of the classroom that detracts from its core academic mission.

We recognize that public education plays a critical role in sustaining our constitutional democracy. Our unity lies in upholding high academic standards, fostering intellectual curiosity, encouraging personal growth, and instilling civic virtues that prepare students for a free and dynamic society—one rooted in the classical liberal tradition that has given rise to the greatest age of human flourishing and prosperity in history. We reaffirm our commitment to creating classrooms that unite rather than divide, that empower rather than victimize, and that inspire all students to achieve their full potential.