This week Senate Republicans held a press conference to propose a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that would put parents’ in the driver’s seat of their kids’ education. After years of COVID restrictions and distance learning, children are struggling to meet basic educational goals. The proposal aims to get kids back on the right track by increasing school transparency, disclosure, and accountability to parents. Senator Torrey Westrom supports the proposal and released the following statement.
“We have many outstanding schools in our area, yet I still hear from parents and students who are frustrated that they are being ignored by our education system,” Westrom said. “We’ve seen the teaching of divisive critical race theory, ‘doxing’ of parents, and silencing parents voices by cutting out public testimony. These troubling trends need to stop before they become the norm. Some of our students are getting left behind and it is the right ofparents to direct their children’s education. ThisParent’s Bill of Rights package will put parents back in the driver’s seat and empower them to make the choices best for their children.”
The first bill in the package sponsored by Senator Justin Eichorn (R-Grand Rapids) states schools must not withhold information about their child’s well-being or education and requires schools to have a regular system for notifying families of activities at school. It applies to both public and charter schools and serves as the cornerstone of parental rights for the proposal.
Additionally, two bills aimed to increase transparency in the classroom are part of the proposal. Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) has a bill to require access to each class syllabi made available to parents within the first two weeks of the educational term.
Senator Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) has a broader curriculum review bill that requires schools to make all instruction materials available to parents. It requires the school to allow for reasonable accommodation for alternative instruction if a parent objects to the content, without penalty to the student. The school is not required to provide alternative instruction.
After parents across the nation spoke up with curriculum concerns, Senator Roger Chamberlain (R- Lino Lakes) responded with a bill to prevent doxing of parents’ home addresses. The bill makes clear a parent or other citizen may not be forced to provide an address or contact information in order to participate. We have seen parents harassed at their homes for simply speaking out at public meetings.
In addition to increasing transparency and accountability, Chamberlain introduced a bill to provide for Educational Savings Accounts. These accounts allow parents to set aside money to pay for tutoring, tuition, and other support services with a tax-preferred account, something that could significantly help students struggling with COVID-related learning loss.