Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many school districts across California have turned to distance learning programs in order to provide parents options for their children to continue schooling. Our schools are filled with extremely qualified and competent teachers, but unfortunately many of these districts have chosen to supplement their instruction with a program called Acellus.

Unfortunately, there are a number of egregious problems with the Acellus program, including racist content, age-inappropriate content, questionable credentialing of the founder, Roger Billings, and many Acellus teachers, his succession to the founder of a FLDS polygamist cult in the 80's, among a myriad of other issues which are supported in references below. There has also been an accusation that Roger Billings molested a child who was in this fundamentalist cult, and you will find that information recorded in testimony to the BOE (linked below). But watch the videos- they speak for themselves.

The California Department of Education was contacted in late July regarding the issues with ACELLUS, ( AKA Powerhouse Homeschooling, Power homeschooling and Acellus Accelerated Learning) and they stated that each district was responsible for their own curriculum choices and that they would not take further action to warn districts within the state. Children whose families wished to opt out of this program at some districts were told their children would have to dis-enroll in their local school, enter a homeschooling program on a satellite campus and would lose their spot in their local school once classes resumed on campus.

We ask the DOE to remove this program from California public education, based on the hard evidence provided below and testimony after testimony from concerned citizens, including many current and former educators. Parents should be provided a well-vetted and legitimate option for distance learning for their children and our great local teachers should be encouraged and empowered with quality tools and supplemental programs to continue educating our children through an online platform during the pandemic.

Thank you to the brave investigative journalists, concerned educators and parents who actually watched these videos themselves, many alongside their children, who were horrified at the content of these "educational” videos. Please see the links below and research for yourself, making your own informed decision about whether you find this content educational and appropriate for California’s Children. If you are equally concerned, horrified or shocked, please sign. 

We ask the DOE give California’s children a quality, well-vetted distance learning platform to supplement local school's distance learning programs.

These are just some of the MANY school districts across California who are currently using Acellus:

Chico Unified School District- now dropped Acellus

Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District - program used in K-5th 

Pasadena Unified school District

Seirra Sands Unified School District

Grossmont High School District - As of 8/28 they are retaining their contract w/ acellus

Alameda Unified School District- in the process of recommending canceling Acellus​

La Mesa Spring Valley Unified School District – now dropped Acellus

Redlands Unified School District

San Juan Unified School District - program offered to Middle School 

Tamalpais Union High School District - program 

Chino Unified School District

Palo Verde Unified School District- district contacted, program still active 

Southern Kern Unified School District

Beaumont Unified School District- program still active  

Palm Springs Unified School District - program still active 

New Haven Unified School District

Le grand Union High School District

Alhambra High School - program still active 

Westside Union School District- program 

Woodlake Unified School District - program 

Hawthorne School District- program still active 

Pittsburg Unified School District (Pittsburg, California) -program active still 

Monarch Public Charter School (Redding, California) - program still active 

Lakeport Unified School District - program

Redbluff High School - program

Thermalito Union Elementary School District (Butte, Ca) - program used in all grades 

* Please share your district if not mentioned above if they are using Acellus.

Removed from this list: Chula Vista- this  school district is not using this program and it was incorrectly reported. 

** Please note this Petition’s information is sourced directly from the petition based in Hawaii and permission to use content/wording was granted.

Change . Org Petition Opposing Acellus for Hawaii Public Education​

Link to written testimony from educators, parents and concerned citizens opposing Acellus in Hawaii’s public schools ( "acellus")​

California Parent Submission "Letter G- It's a Gun"​

"Harriet Tubman" Submission​

"Plantation" Submission​

"Inaccurate Hawaiian History" Submission​

Physical Fitness Intro Lesson​

Parent submission of "Sweetie Lips" lesson​

Fire Angel/Acellus Intro to PE video​

Parent submission "Woman Hater"

More Links:

Acellus Scandal at Lennox School leads to Death of Superintendent​

Acellus Scandal at Lennox School District Article 2​

Cloud of Controversy Follows "Dr. Hydrogen"​

Testimony from former cult member Aaron Billings​

https://www.thepitchkc.com/dr-hydrogen/​

http://www.deseret.com/2004/1/3/19804670/publicity-follows-billings-brother

"Fire Angel's" sample lesson: https://www.acellus.com/student-blog/?p=879​

https://www.pajet.com/ (This is the "teacher" of PE and Social emotional learning; scroll down- view the video at the bottom of the page- this was the introduction to PE for my kindergartener and third grader.)

Footage submitted by a Hawaii Parent​

Web Archive of Billing's former website detailing the history that led to him being named a Prophet Part 1​

Web Archive of Roger Billing's Website where he calls himself Prophet​

Supreme Court of British Columbia Court Document - SCROLL to section 648- referencing Billings and his cult​

Scroll to the bottom for NY Times article referencing Acellus racist content​

San Diego coverage of district canceling Acellus due to inappropriate content

***Edited to add credits and additional school district updates

Video Credit(s): Jacquelyn Otto (parent submission) Research Credit: Those who submitted testimony to the Hawaii BOE, both orally and written, Kelsey Dostie and Heather Moselle.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read and make an informed choice on signing this petition.