Open Letter to RCOE

Feel free to cut, paste, add, delete and send yourself.

Below is a letter I sent to the Riverside County Office of Education governing board regarding resolution 09-25 on tonight’s agenda, regarding defying federal immigration authorities. See this article for more information.

I have included emails. Feel free to copy and paste entirely, or add/delete, and send on to RCOE yourself.

Riverside County Office of Education Governing Board:

Elizabeth F. Romero, President of the board efromero@rcoe.us

Kim Joseph Cousins, Vice President of the board kjcousins@rcoe.us

Ben Johnson II, Member of the board, Area 2 bjohnson@rcoe.us

Jamie Azpeitia-Sachs, Member of the board, Area 3 jsachs@rcoe.us

Bruce N. Dennis, Member of the board, Area 4 bdennis@rcoe.us

Ray "Coach" Curtis, Member of the board, Area 5 rcurtis@rcoe.us

Jennifer Mejares Pham, Member of the board, Area 7 jmejarespham@rcoe.us

Edwin Gomez, Ed.D., Superintendent of RCOE

Dear Sirs and Madams,

I am writing to you today about my concern about your proposed Resolution No 09-25 Recognizing Riverside County's Commitment to Provide All Children Equal Access to Education, which appears on tonight’s RCOE board agenda for approval and adaptation.

I desired to send a comment to be read into the record, but was surprised to learn that RCOE, which governs over all school districts in the 7,303 square miles of Riverside County, the fourth largest in California, only allows in-person comments. Thus, I am writing this letter in case I am unable to make the 11/2-hour drive.

First, I would like to point to the misinformation within the preamble of the resolution.

Your first supporting fact for your defined problem (the success of students) states:

“WHEREAS the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America recognizes every individual’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…”

While referencing the Declaration of Independence is admirable, as that document still inspires people around the world to throw off oppressive governments, the actual quote would be “…are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence was, and remains, a justification to throw of the yoke of a tyrannical government, not a justification to invade another land and demand those rights from an existing government that is not their own.

Throughout the remaining supporting facts, the resolution fails to differentiate between legal and illegal immigration. Legal immigrants apply through proper channels and take steps to assimilate into the American culture and apply for citizenship. Illegal immigrants skip the legal process to take advantage of the system or for other nefarious purposes, such as human or fentanyl trafficking. I would remind the board that every single country in the World has immigration and anti-drug smuggling laws.

Another supporting fact in the resolution states that the board “…recognizes that recent federal actions have resulted in thousands of students and families in Riverside County expressing fear, uncertainty, sadness, and concerns for their safety….”

To be clear, the board is referencing Constitutional Presidential Executive Orders to lawfully apprehend and deport illegal immigrants, some of which are so violent and heinous their countries of origins do not wish to have them back. Legal immigrants and United States citizens have nothing to fear from these Executive Orders, nor of any enforcement actions that may result from them.

In fact, many of your students have family members that are in Law Enforcement. I would ask the board to consider the fear, uncertainty, and concerns for safety that those students feel when they see angry and hateful crowds in their community-for themselves and for their loved-ones that must confront such mobs. Angry crowds that block streets and trap citizens in cars, vocalize their hatred for the United States, fly foreign flags as if they were a conquering army, and attack law enforcement with rocks and bottles. Such an event occurred in Perris (Riverside County) just this past week and resulted in arrests, including for assaults with a deadly weapon.

The Resolved clause that declares students and families as “a protected space” is de-humanizing—you are referring to Human Beings, not physical objects.

The Resolved clause that declares that the district will follow board policy 5145.13 to defy, as much as possible, immigration enforcement is a danger to both the safety to ALL students and families, including those you are feigning to protect, and the fiscal stability of RCOE and Riverside County school districts.

Consider the millions of discarded identification papers and the possibility that not all “newcomers” are who they claim to be, or who others claim them to be.

Especially consider that over 300,000 illegal immigrant children went missing under the Biden regime, under which 13 to 25 (or more) millions of peoples from around the world have invaded through an intentional porous border. Most of these children have been trafficked into the most horrendous conditions but could have also ended up in our nation’s school systems. Including Riverside County schools.

If, under the guidance of the RCOE, a school (or the RCOE itself) denies vital information to Federal Immigration Enforcement when requested, those children could disappear. Again. The schools would be aiding and abetting human traffickers of children.

As to RCOE financial risk, President Trump has made it clear with existing and developing Executive Orders that educational institutions that defy the law regarding DEI and gender ideologies put their federal funding at risk.

“Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” and “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunities For Families” are two relevant Executive Orders.

The RCOE should strongly consider if such ramifications might exist, now or in the near future, for defying federal immigration authorities.

I found the following current and/or future federal grants and awards that the RCOE currently enjoys, totaling over $200 million.

· $105,932,015.00 from the Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, for Head Start and Early Head Start (09CH012335)

· $71,258,470.66 from the Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, for Migrant Head Start (90CM009838)

· $20,323,229.00 from the Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, for Migrant and Seasonal Head Start and Early Head Start (90CM009874)

· $3,103,488.00 from the Department of Education, for the Riverside County Wellness Collaborative (RCWC) (S184H240321)

· $4,000,000.00 from the Department of Education for Making Connections in Math (MCM) Project (S411C230040)

· $1,292,019.00 from the Department of Labor: Employment and Training Administration, for “RCYB” (23A60YB000013)

· $1,277,997.00 from the Department of Labor: Employment and Training Administration, for “Youth Build” (YB364352160A6)

As a concerned citizen of Riverside County and a stakeholder in Riverside County Schools, I strongly urge the Riverside County Office of Education Governing Board to reject Resolution No 09-25 Recognizing Riverside County's Commitment to Provide All Children Equal Access to Education. Instead, I urge the board to craft a resolution of cooperation with the Federal Government and Unity with the American people.

I further urge the board to begin the steps of culling all DEI and gender ideological principles and practices from RCOE culture and policies so as to not jeopardize current and future funding.

Best regards,

Kenneth Snell

No phone number disclosed due to my hearing disability.