For years, the Left has unabashedly waged war on parents — pushing radical policies that hinder children’s learning and leave parents voiceless. From woke Critical Race Theory instruction to dangerous gender ideology measures, Democrat officials have worked hand in hand with teachers unions to turn schools across the country into hubs for indoctrination. For example, the Biden Administration is threatening Title IX by allowing the National Collegiate Athletic Association to permit biological men to compete in women's and girls’ sports.
Under the purview of the Biden Administration, parents concerned about their child’s education have faced unwarranted and unconstitutional tactics to silence their legitimate claims. In fact, the White House and Department of Justice notoriously colluded with the National School Boards Association to target parents voicing their concerns at school board meetings. As the Weaponization of the Federal Government Subcommittee recently reported, there was no legitimate basis for the Biden Administration to use federal law enforcement and counterterrorism resources on these parents — who were simply exercising their First Amendment rights to protect their children.
Furthermore, the senseless and unscientific education policies pursued by Democrats during COVID-19 severely damaged children’s learning. Roughly half of American students started behind in at least one subject this past school year — marking a 13% increase from the national average in years prior to 2020. Undoubtedly, school closures and remote learning also had disastrous impacts on children’s mental health and development.
In light of these misguided policies, we must ensure parents remain the primary stakeholders in their children’s education — not the radical Left, not woke bureaucrats, and certainly not corrupt teachers unions.
Thankfully, House Republicans are delivering on our promise to create a future that’s built on freedom by empowering parents. Last week, we passed H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights, which guarantees that parents have the:
- Right to know what’s being taught in schools and to see reading material
- Right to be heard
- Right to see school budget and spending
- Right to protect their child’s privacy
- Right to be updated on any violent activity at school
You may be pleased to know that we also passed numerous amendments that strengthen this critical legislation. For example, we successfully added amendments that require schools to report when transgender students join girls’ sports teams or are allowed to use girls’ restrooms and locker rooms. In addition, schools must obtain parents’ consent to change a child’s name, gender, or pronouns.
I proudly voted for H.R. 5, as I believe it’s past time that we empower parents by ensuring they have the rights and resources needed to protect their children’s education. Please know that I remain committed to supporting policies that restore parents’ voices and help students struggling from years of unnecessary remote learning, as well as fighting back against the Left’s escalating indoctrination in classrooms across the country.
