From Liberty Counsel Action:
This week, the U.S. House is scheduled to vote on HR 5, known as the “Parents Bill of Rights Act,” with many new protections for both parents and guardians. Liberty Counsel Action staff is in meetings today on Capitol Hill to educate people about the need for this bill. A vote is expected on Thursday with the final floor vote scheduled for Friday.
Americans watched in shock as parents in Loudon County, Virginia, were falsely labeled “domestic terrorists” because they cared about their children’s education. They watched in horror as parents faced the full weight of the FBI investigating them for daring to advocate for a better path. This bill will help ensure the freedom of speech and rights of parents to advocate for their children at their local school board meetings without fear of punishment from our federal government. It will also discourage any ongoing FBI investigations against these parents.
HR 5 will encourage and involve parents in their children’s future and best interests. The bill “requires schools to notify parents and guardians of their rights regarding the education of their children.”
This bill’s summary includes the following rights for parents and guardians:
• Review the curriculum of their child’s school.
• Know if the state alters its challenging academic standards.
• Meet with each teacher of their child at least twice each school year.
• Review the budget, including all revenues and expenditures, of their child’s school.
• Review a list of the books and other reading materials in the library of their child’s school.
• Address the school board of the local educational agencies (LEA).
• Receive information about violent activity in their child’s school.
• Receive information about any plans to eliminate gifted and talented programs in the child’s school.
An amendment friendly to the bill is expected for schools to stop helping children hide from their parents when a child presents as one gender at home and the opposite gender at school. This important amendment was already introduced in the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee and is expected again on the House floor this week.
Liberty Counsel Action Senior Counsel for Governmental Affairs Jonathan Alexandre said, “Parents and guardians know their children best. ‘Experts’ don’t even know a child’s first name, yet they try to push a ‘one size fits all’ on every child in America. However, the reality is that every child has unique needs. That is why it is critical to encourage parental involvement and local leadership for the best possible future for every child.”
One of the best indications of a child’s future success is parental involvement, according to the Public School Review, yet radical activists have a history of repeatedly trying to push parents out of some of the most critical, life-changing decisions for children in America.
People can make their voices heard on this bill by contacting the U.S. House switchboard at 202-224-3121 and asking for their representative by name. U.S. representatives’ names are available here.
Members of the press can schedule an interview with Jonathan Alexandre at 407-875-1789.
