(TheConservativeTimes.org) – As the battle over American K-121 education rages on, the Republican majority of the House of Representatives recently sent out a subtle reminder that they’re still in the fight. The political body tweeted about a bill they passed called the “Parental Bill of Rights.”
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) August 6, 2023
The move comes as conservatives continue to fight against left-wing ideological initiatives in public schools, such as drag queen story hour, diversity quotas, and other forms of left-wing teaching methods.
There is also a broader debate about the presence of educational practices in colleges and universities predicated upon Critical Race Theory (CTR). CTR, a derivative of the wider umbrella of Critical Theory, is a legal and social theory dedicated to examining the struggles of people of color through a culturally Marxist lens. It posits that the conventional modern liberal framework of legal neutrality is inadequate to address the struggles of racial inequity and inequality and instead advocates for racial discrimination in the name of “social justice.”
Specifically, House Republicans have put forward H.R. 5, the “Parental Rights Act,” which passed the House on March 24. The legislation proposes to “establish various rights” for parents, specifically to know what their children are learning in the classroom, as well as to see school budgets and have their children’s privacy respected.
The bill also would allow parents to:
- Have the right to review their children’s curriculum.
- Know when or if the state alters the curriculum.
- Meet with their teacher at least twice every school year.
- Review the budget and expenditures of their school.
- Inspect the books and content offered by the school.
- Address their respective school boards.
- Receive information about violent activity in the school.
- Know if their child is not proficient in reading or language arts at the end of the third grade.
Not a single Democrat voted for the bill, but it still passed thanks to the narrow Republican House majority. The bill now sits in the Senate, which is currently divided between 48 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and 3 independents. The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
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