Moms for Liberty
Local Action Alert

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📍 Drive to Independence Local Office   📅 Tuesday, September 15, 2026 to Calendar
📄 View Official Agenda
Heads up! Our parent watchdogs have scanned the upcoming agenda for Independence Local. We found 2 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6)
New ‘Gifted’ Student Policy Requires Manual Review
📅 Scheduled Action
The board is set to approve a new policy for identifying and serving ‘gifted’ children under Consent Agenda Item I.1, but the policy document was not provided in the agenda packet. These policies are sometimes used to introduce ‘equity’ frameworks that redefine giftedness away from academic achievement.
Recommended Action Plan

INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item I.1, ‘ILS Policy and Plan for the Identification and Service of Children who are Gifted,’ in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm its contents. Email Superintendent Kelli Cogan at kcogan@independence.k12.oh.us: ‘Please provide the full text of the proposed gifted student policy in Item I.1 before the board votes. Parents have a right to review any changes to how academic achievement is defined and recognized.’

💰 Taxpayer Impact: Redefining Merit
✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
Win (LEVEL 5)
Win: District to Pay Parents for Student Transportation
📅 Scheduled Action
The Board is authorizing contracts to pay parents directly for transporting their own children when district-provided busing is deemed impractical. This is a common-sense policy that supports parental choice and provides flexibility for families, especially those with children in non-public schools or with special needs.
How to Lock It In

AMPLIFY THIS WIN: Contact the Board to express support for Item I.3. Call Board President Tony Avila at (216) 642-5854: ‘Thank you for approving parental transportation contracts. This is a fantastic, common-sense policy that respects parental involvement and should be a model for other districts.’

✅ Why It Matters: Parental Empowerment
District Leadership
Superintendent Kelli Cogan
kcogan@independence.k12.oh.us
Treasurer Jennifer Knapp
jknapp@independence.k12.oh.us
Board President Tony Avila
Address 7733 Stone Rd, Independence, OH 44131
(216) 642-5850
“We do not co-parent with the government.”
Moms for Liberty is the nation’s largest grassroots organization fighting for parental rights. Through national members and local chapters, our work ensures parents, not the government or radical activists, make the decisions concerning the upbringing and education of their children.

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