Senate Republicans on Thursday affirmed parents’ right to transparency in their child’s classroom and their right to privacy when they participate in school board meetings. Two bills passed off the Senate floor are part of a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” package rolled out earlier in session.  

Senator Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) issued the following statement:

“A child’s first and most important teacher is the parent. Parents have a right to be involved in their child’s education – a right superior to the rights of all others. Parents and schools should work together in partnership to do what is best for the student, but parents must have the primary input into what their child is taught. Parents are responsible for teaching their children and giving them a value system, not the Minnesota Department of Education. These bills protect parents’ rights.”