Newhouse Supports Parents’ Role, Greater Transparency in Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after cosponsoring H.R. 6056, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. This legislation would put practices in place that facilitate meaningful dialog between a family and their child's school and lead to more parental input throughout the learning process. It amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to ensure that federally-funded schools provide parents with the transparency they deserve.

"Parents know what's best for their children and are their greatest advocates. Ensuring that they have a say in their child's education is just common-sense," said Rep. Newhouse. "I'm proud to sponsor this legislation that will provide families with more options to collaborate with school districts, have more access to information regarding their children's education, and ultimately provide a better curriculum and learning experience for our next generation of leaders."

Click here to read the full text of H.R. 6056.

Background:

The Parents Bill of Rights is built on five core principles that would apply to all schools nationwide that receive federal funding.

1. Parents have the right to review their school's curriculum, reading materials, and state academic standards.
   1. Requires school districts to post their curriculum publicly
   2. Requires states to provide the public a copy of any revisions to the state's academic standards or learning benchmarks
   3. Requires that school districts give parents notice of any plan to eliminate gifted and talented programs
   4. Requires schools to provide parents with a list of books and reading materials available in the school library.
2. Parents have the right to lawfully engage with their local school board and educators.
   1. Requires teachers to offer two in-person meetings with parents each year
   2. Requires parents be allowed to address the school board
   3. Includes new protections under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and updates and clarifies provisions in the Protection of Pupil Rights Act (PPRA).
3. Parents have the right to see a school's budget and spending, including detailed information about revenues and expenditures.
4. Parents have the right to protect their child's privacy.
   1. Bans schools from sharing student data with tech companies without parental permission
   2. Bans schools from selling student data for commercial purposes
   3. Requires parental input when schools develop or update their student privacy policies and procedures
   4. Parents also must consent before any medical exam takes place at school, including mental health or substance use disorder screenings
5. Parents have the right to keep their child safe and be updated on any violent activity at school.
   1. Requires schools to notify parents of violent activity occurring on school grounds or at school-sponsored events while still protecting the privacy of students

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