Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley introduced the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act to defend parents’ fundamental rights against efforts to shut them out of their children’s education. Senator Hawley’s bill would empower parents to sue federally-funded schools that do not protect certain basic rights, such as the right to know what their child is being taught and the right to know what outside groups are receiving school contracts.
Senator Hawley said, “America has long recognized the right of parents to direct their children’s education but we are now seeing a concerted effort by the Left to shut parents out. Whether it’s Joe Biden’s Justice Department attempting to classify parents as ‘domestic terrorists’ or activists funded by dark money who seek to quietly introduce critical race theory into school curricula, education has taken a back seat to radical politics in many schools and parents are taking notice. It’s time to give control back to parents, not woke bureaucrats, and empower them to start a new era of openness in education.”
Background
The Parents’ Bill of Rights Act will empower parents to enforce the following rights against school systems receiving federal dollars:
- The right to know what their minor child is being taught in school, including, but not limited to, curricula, books, and other instructional materials.
- School and school districts shall be prohibited from requiring non-disclosure agreements or similar forms for parental review of curricula, and shall instead allow parents to make copies of curriculum documents.
- School and school districts shall be prohibited from requiring non-disclosure agreements or similar forms for parental review of curricula, and shall instead allow parents to make copies of curriculum documents.
- The right to information on who is teaching their minor child, including guest lecturers and outside presenters.
- Schools and school districts shall allow student involvement in school assemblies, field trips, and other extracurricular activities only if parents opt-in, rather than opt-out.
- Schools and school districts shall allow student involvement in school assemblies, field trips, and other extracurricular activities only if parents opt-in, rather than opt-out.
- The right to information on individuals and organizations receiving school contracts and funding.
- The right to visit the school and check in on their minor child during school hours.
- The right to all school records, medical or otherwise, concerning their minor child.
- The right to information about the collection and transmission of their minor child’s data.
- Schools and school districts shall obtain parental consent prior to collecting any biometric data or other sensitive personal information on the minor child.
- Schools and school districts shall obtain parental consent prior to collecting any biometric data or other sensitive personal information on the minor child.
- The right to have sufficient accountability and transparency regarding school boards.
- School board meetings pertaining to curricula, safety, and other student issues shall be held in public and allow for public comments.
- School board meetings pertaining to curricula, safety, and other student issues shall be held in public and allow for public comments.
- The right to know about situations affecting their minor child’s safety in school.
- Parents shall be notified in a timely manner of all reported incidents pertaining to student safety, including all crimes or misdemeanors committed by teachers or other school employees.
Parents will be empowered to sue schools that do not protect these rights for injunctive relief. A pattern of such violations in a particular jurisdiction will trigger major reductions in federal education funding.