📣 NEW: SEA Releases National Guidance on Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) & Religious Clubs

Families across the country keep asking the same questions:
What are my rights? What can schools do? What can they not do? Why is this happening during the school day? What do I do if my child is being pressured, excluded, or pulled out of core classes?

Today, the Secular Education Association (SEA) is releasing a comprehensive national open letter to parents, caregivers, and community members. This letter explains—in clear, accurate language—what the law actually says about Released Time Religious Instruction and religious clubs in public schools.

For too long, outside groups have relied on confusion, misrepresentation, and rushed implementation. Families deserve transparency.

This guidance covers:
• What RTRI is and what it is not
• What states require, permit, or do not authorize
• What schools may not do (endorse religion, promote programs, excuse kids from required classes, transport students, etc.)
• How instructional time, IEP services, and academic progress must be protected
• The legal difference between RTRI and student religious clubs
• Common red flags: coercion, bullying, exclusion, teacher involvement, misleading flyers, facility-use misuse
• What families can ask, document, request, and file
• What to do if something feels “off”

SEA also included a full resource appendix so communities can take real, concrete steps—not guesses.

SEA Resources included:
📌 Model RTRI Policy – A constitutional, district-tested framework any district can adopt.
📌 Parent Testimonial Archive – Hundreds of firsthand accounts showing real harms, patterns, and early warning signs.
📌 State-by-State RTRI Map – Know your state’s law, your rights, and your district’s discretion.
📌 Public Records Request Templates (PRR/FOIA) – State-specific letters to get emails, agreements, safety protocols, and promotional materials.

SEA is here for every family, in every state.

👉 Read the full open letter:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l2waMDFdkmc6tN02-ocVTxFwIgJstyRMgMMC3qXD3y0/edit?usp=sharing

👉 Need help or see concerns in your district?
📧 contact@SecularEducationAssociation.org
🌐 SecularEducationAssociation.org

All of these resources—and many more—are available anytime at ⬇️

http://www.SecularEducationAssociation.org.

On our website, families can explore our fully searchable district spreadsheet (which tracks every school district in the country and its status with LifeWise), our LifeWise program map, step-by-step tools and templates, PRR request letters, talking points, violations documentation, media coverage, and guidance for reporting concerns. Everything is organized so parents can find exactly what they need, when they need it.

👏🏻Your child’s education should never depend on their religion. We’re here to make sure it doesn’t.

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