Parents’ Bill of Rights states that parents have a right to know and decide about their child’s education. It also means they may know what is happening in school. (H.R. 5, Parents Bill of Rights Act). To sum up, some points about Parent’s Rights:
- To know what teachers teach,
- The right to be heard,
- To see the budget,
- Protect their child’s privacy, and
- Receive updates on any violent activity at school.
This bill also gives parents the right to review the curriculum. Parents also may inspect books and other library materials. Parents must consent to a change in a student’s pronouns or preferred name. A student can’t change bathrooms, locker rooms, or other sex-based accommodations. Other states pass bills that allow parents to make health care decisions. They also allow parents to be exempt from immunization requirements.
It’s claimed that the purpose of the bill is for more transparency and accountability in education. Thus, it allows parents to be informed and to question the local school boards. Schools risk losing federal money if they do not comply with the Bill.
Parents’ Bill Harms Students
Many people believe the Parent’s Rights Bill violates students’ equal education rights. They believe it is discriminatory. Therefore, it creates a hostile and unsafe environment for some students.
Some students experience abuse or neglect by their parents or caretakers. This bill may stop schools from taking action or forbidding students at school from talking about problems at home. The Bill appears to turn parents against teachers.
No Problems Solved
The Bill does not solve problems in education. Educators feel. that the Bill does not solve problems faced in education. Educators face declines in reading and math scores. Also, it does not solve students’ mental health challenges. Nor does it solve inconsistencies in achievement. Schools need funding and programs for parental support, not challenges that tie an educator’s hands.
According to the National Parent Union. “This bill has nothing to do with parent rights and everything to do with the radical culture wars that serve as a distraction from what our students need to recover from the pandemic. This bill would lead to more education bans, which takes books off classroom shelves and will therefore limit access to education for millions of kids across the country. From national polling, we know that the top priorities identified by the vast majority of families are the safety of their children while at school and the urgent need for mental health supports. This bill fails to address either issue and therefore is clearly not intended for the millions of families who have been demanding leadership from federal, state, and local lawmakers.”
Educators and administrators must understand what this Bill requires as they teach students. Politics must not control the schools. They must not take decision-making away from trained, educated adults.
