Dear Friend of the Family,
This Giving Tuesday, we’re asking you to stand with Massachusetts Family Institute because the battles parents are facing in our schools are only increasing, and your support directly fuels our ability to respond.
In March, our Massachusetts Informed Parents (MIP) network uncovered one of the most disturbing incidents we’ve seen in a Massachusetts district. Parents alerted us that Burlington Public Schools had given middle and high school students a sexually explicit health survey, and even more alarming, students whose parents opted them out were forced to take it anyway.
Massachusetts parents were outraged. These graphic, intrusive questions, some of which are pictured below, were wildly inappropriate for children as young as 6th grade, and the disregard for parental opt-out requests was a clear violation of trust and parental rights.
This is why your support is so crucial.
When situations like this erupt, often with no warning, MFI must be ready to respond immediately. And because of donors like you, we did.
Thanks to your support, MFI was able to:
- Mobilize parents at school committee meetings
- Demand accountability from district leadership
- File federal complaints on behalf of families whose rights were ignored
These complaints drew national attention and prompted the U.S. Department of Education to launch an official investigation into Burlington Public Schools.
Yet even under federal investigation, the Burlington School Committee went on to reward the embattled superintendent with a raise and contract extension, proving how desperately Massachusetts families need a watchdog.
And that is why we need you today.
Your Giving Tuesday gift strengthens:
- MIP’s parent network
- MFI’s legal, policy, and research efforts
- On-the-ground support for families
- Statewide advocacy and accountability
Massachusetts parents cannot fight these battles alone. They shouldn’t have to.
Your Giving Tuesday gift ensures that when school districts overreach, when parental rights are violated, and when children are put at risk, MFI is there — immediately, boldly, and effectively.
This is your chance to stand in the gap for families across our state.
And it’s important to remember: this Burlington case is only a fraction of the work MFI is doing.
Each month, MFI is securing meaningful victories for families: stopping harmful curriculum, protecting parental rights, defending religious liberty, empowering thousands of parents through our MIP network, and providing new education alternatives.
These wins are real, they are growing, and they are only possible because you stand with us. To see more of the victories you’re fueling, visit mafamily.org/blog.
Thank you for being an essential part of this mission.
With gratitude,
The MFI Team
P.S. Every gift makes a difference. This Giving Tuesday, make a difference in the Commonwealth! Your contribution to MFI—whether a monthly pledge or one-time gift—can help MFI strengthen MA families.
Help spread the word: share this blog on social media and encourage others to stand with you in protecting our kids and their schools.
Help MFI keep up the crucial fight to protect children across the commonwealth. Support our efforts with a generous donation today!
