The House passed GOP-backed legislation Friday to give parents more say over what their children learn in the classroom.
The Parents Bill of Rights Act is the response of concerned parents to public schools pushing radicle curricula without their consent.
Lawmakers approved the bill in a 208-213 vote.
The bill will require public schools to make their curriculum and the books available in the school library public knowledge.
The bill will also require more transparency from the schools on matters such as budget, violence among students, and upcoming medical exams or mental health screenings.
This is a victory for many parents who feel schools should not be able to have complete control over their children. This is also a victory for public schools that have seen a massive drop in enrollment over the last few years.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, enrollment in public schools has dropped by more than 1.5 million since the pandemic.
These numbers are largely due to parents’ growing concern as to what their children are learning in the classroom.
The pandemic allowed parents to observe their children in their online classrooms, and much classroom material they were unaware was being taught.
The growing awareness caused an outcry and an exodus of many students from public schools.
Public schools, including parents in the discussion, will prevent public schools from losing even more students.
However, Democrats are not happy about the newly passed bill, and President Biden has publically rejected it in a statement of administration policy.
"The administration does not support H.R. 5 in its current form because the bill does not actually help parents support their children at school," the statement said. "Moreover, instead of making LGBTQI+ students feel included in their school community, it puts them at higher risk. The administration strongly supports actions that empower parents to engage with their children’s teachers and schools, like enabling parents to take time off to attend school meetings. Legislation should not politicize our children’s education."
Due to the Senate being controlled by the Democrats, the bill is not expected to make it to legislation.
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