Dear Friend,

During the pandemic when schools were locked down, many parents were shocked to learn precisely what their children were being taught in school. Millions objected to curricula, woke theories and voiced their opposition at their local school boards. When parents objected to their local school boards, the National School Boards Association asked the Biden administration to investigate threats against school board members under federal anti-terrorism statutes, including the Patriot Act. Schools should view parents as allies, not a threat to a specific agenda of indoctrination.

That’s why my House colleagues and I passed H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. This bill seeks to provide protections to ensure parents always have a say in their kids’ education. H.R. 5 ensures that schools who receive federal funding do not trample on parental rights by ensuring commonsense transparency for parents in the following areas:

• The right to review the curriculum, reading materials, and budget of their child’s school;
• The right to know if the state alters their academic standards or plans to eliminate gifted and talented programs;
• The right to know school choice options, including information about all available public school enrollment options, including charter schools, schools within the school district, and transfers to schools in other school districts.
• The right to meet with their child’s teacher at least twice each school year and address the school board of the school district;
• The right to know about violent activity in their child’s school, health issues that arise with their child, and the right to protect their child’s privacy.

Countless court cases have confirmed that parents have a fundamental right to raise their children, which includes the right to direct the education and upbringing of one’s child. Unfortunately, we have seen a disturbing trend of these fundamental parental rights being discarded and parents being left in the dark. I urge the Senate to pass and President Biden to sign this bill to promote educational freedom and empower parents to choose the best learning environment for their kids.

I’m honored to represent you in Congress. For more information on constituent services, current legislation, and to sign up for my newsletter, please visit my website at franklin.house.gov.

Best regards,

C. Scott Franklin

Member of Congress