As parents and community members, it’s essential to understand who we elect to local government, especially when their policies directly threaten our children’s education. Thousand Oaks City Council candidate Kevin McNamee is spearheading a dangerous initiative known as the “Children’s Educational Opportunity Act” (CEO Act), a school voucher plan that functions as an educational savings account (ESA). School Vouchers are part of the coordinated attacks on public education in the United States, as reported here by the U.S Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. This initiative is just part of a larger, far-right agenda to undermine public education and promote a privatized, exclusionary system—introduced by influential entities such as the Council of National Policy and backed by extremist groups across Southern California.
What Is the "CEO Act"?
The CEO Act is positioned as a way to expand educational opportunities, but in reality, it’s a school voucher system that would divert much-needed public funds to private, parochial, and homeschooling programs. These vouchers would primarily benefit families already using non-public education services, such as private religious schools, which leaves public schools starved of resources. McNamee’s plan would worsen inequalities in the education system, disproportionately impacting rural and low-income schools.
What’s particularly concerning is that school voucher systems have a well-documented history of failure in other states like Florida and Arizona. These programs have been shown to drain public schools of resources, contributing to school closures and leaving behind students who rely on public education.
Even more concerning is that the CEO Act offers no explanation for how California’s Prop 98 funds will stretch to cover the additional 500,000+ private and homeschool students. According to the California Legislative Analysis Office, with $17,000 promised per student, this could add a cost of $4-8 billion, putting a significant strain on the state’s budget.
McNamee’s Extremist Ties
The CEO Act isn’t just a misguided policy—it’s a key piece of a broader far-right agenda to dismantle public education with a board comprised of well known anti-public school characters. Since 2023, McNamee has been actively working with extremist groups to promote the CEO Act, aligning himself with some of the most controversial and extreme figures in Southern California’s political landscape.
Mom Army: Modeled after Moms For Liberty, Mom Army is an anti-LGBTQ+ group that pushes a right-wing cultural agenda under the guise of “parental rights.” Its leader, Seak Smith, has made the CEO Act a central focus of their activism. This group, part of Turning Point USA’s “Moms Coalition” and designated as a hate organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center, works closely with McNamee to promote his agenda.
AV Parent Advocates: This radical Christian fundamentalist group, led by homeschooling mom Jessica Enos, opposes policies supporting LGBTQ+ students and advocates for policies that force schools to marginalize transgender students in public schools. McNamee has participated in events hosted by this group, further aligning himself with their Christian nationalist, anti-public school agenda. McNamee was a speaker at this March 2024 event with Seak Smith (Mom Army), Manuk Grigoryan (LOKA), Adam Vena, and Nate Fatal (Leadership Institute)
LOKA (Leave Our Kids Alone): This movement originated from protests against LGBTQ+ policies at Southern California schools and has become a unifying force for anti-public school extremists. McNamee has had personal meetings with key LOKA figures, including Manuk Grigoryan, who has spoken at anti-LGBTQ+ rallies and is a vocal supporter of the CEO Act. LOKA events frequently end in violence and attract far-right groups like the Proud Boys. McNamee’s participation in these rallies raises serious concerns about his affiliations.
Adam Vena: A vocal critic of transgender rights, Adam Vena has collaborated with McNamee on promoting the CEO Act. Vena’s extremist views gained traction after he lost custody of his daughter over his refusal to affirm her gender identity. Adam Vena frequently features McNamee’s CEO act on his podcast, further linking his initiative to far-right activism.
McNamee’s alliances with these extremist groups aren’t just theoretical.
Narine Tadevosyan: Kevin McNamee’s earliest partnership with anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-public education “parents’ rights’ activists includes Jessica Enos and Narine Tadesovyan. Tadesovyan,who leads the “Bad Moms Media” podcast, is an anti-public education homeschool advocate and a member of the “Leave Our Kids Alone” (LOKA) movement. She and Enos frequently promote the CEO Act through ‘Instagram Live’ sessions, on her podcast (minute 5:40) and at school board meetings across Southern California. Despite homeschooling her children, Tadevosyan actively participates in sometimes violent protests at school board meetings, and her social media is filled with anti-trans content. Tadevosyan readily admits she has no idea how the CEO Act will be funded, as referenced here on an Instagram text feed between her and an account called @ourschoolventuraco.
McNamee has been seen attending and speaking at rallies organized by these groups, including the October 2023 “War On Children” rally in Northridge, where anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric was rampant. Visit our page on Narek Paylan to become familiar with the type of people and rhetoric that was present at this event.
Footage has also surfaced of McNamee presenting the CEO Act at a secret meeting of far-right extremists following a Moms for America cottage meeting, including members of LOKA and alongside figures from the Leadership Institute, a far-right arm of the Council for National Policy which trains conservative activists to infiltrate local politics.
A Coordinated Attack on Public Education
McNamee’s collaboration with these far-right groups is part of a broader, well-coordinated attack on public schools. Under the guise of “parental rights,” these extremist organizations seek to dismantle public education, spread fear about so-called “woke” agendas, and promote their narrow ideological views. The ultimate goal is to redirect public funds to private education options that cater to wealthier families while leaving the most vulnerable students—especially in rural and low-income areas—behind.
Groups like Mom Army, AV Parent Advocates, and LOKA are key players in this campaign, but McNamee is one of the most visible figures pushing for these dangerous reforms in California, which would even require the state to overturn the California Blaine amendment, which prohibits direct government aid to educational institutions that have a religious affiliation. His extremist affiliations, combined with his advocacy for school vouchers, make it clear that he’s not interested in improving education for all students—only for those who fit into a narrow, exclusionary worldview.
Enter Frank Enderle: A Dangerous Partnership
Adding to the concerns, McNamee has partnered with another local figure, Frank Enderle, who is running for the local Conejo Valley School Board. McNamee has been adamant Thousand Oaks developers include learning and educational spaces in some of the new housing projects set to be instituted within the city. McNamee has been less than transparent with the fact that these areas are to host his very own non-profit tutoring business’, a clear manipulation of his city council position. But make no mistake—these tutoring centers are part of the same privatization agenda as the CEO Act. By weakening the public school system through the CEO Act, McNamee and Enderle’s tutoring centers stand to profit from the chaos they help create.
Enderle’s candidacy for school board, combined with his partnership in McNamee’s private tutoring business, reveals a coordinated effort to undermine public schools and divert taxpayer dollars into private ventures. Their actions align with an extremist, anti-public education agenda. The Conejo Valley School District already offers diverse in-district educational support, highlighting just how detrimental these candidates could be to public education—the cornerstone of our democracy.
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McNamee’s Troubling History
McNamee’s history of controversial associations extends beyond education policy. In 2015, he published a xenophobic platform on a now-defunct website, CaliforniaImmigrationData.com, which stoked fear around immigration policies. On more than one occasion, McNamee referred to the city of Thousand Oaks un-housed population as less than human. He also abstained from a city council vote condemning white supremacy after a neo-Nazi group demonstrated in Thousand Oaks, calling the resolution a “knee-jerk” reaction. His unwillingness to stand against hate and bigotry speaks volumes about his priorities and the company he keeps.
What Can We Do?
The CEO Act is not about creating better educational opportunities—it’s about dismantling public education and advancing a far-right agenda. As voters and community members, we must stand against McNamee’s dangerous policies and extremist associations.
– Educate your neighbors** about the true impact of the CEO Act and the extremist forces behind it.
– Support school board candidates** who prioritize public education and oppose privatization schemes.
– Get involved** in local elections to ensure our schools remain inclusive, equitable, and well-funded.
McNamee’s actions and affiliations make him a clear threat to the future of public education in California. If we don’t push back, our public schools will be weakened, and the most vulnerable students will suffer the consequences. Let’s work together to protect our schools, our children, and the values of equity and inclusion that define our community.
Kevin McNamee’s dangerous alliances and agenda have made him an embarrassment to Thousand Oaks. It’s clear that each and every local office impacts its community as a whole, and it’s time to reject Kevin McNamee’s extremist vision and choose leaders who will stand up for all of our children in the upcoming 2024 election.