Recently, I unveiled my Parental Bill of Rights, and I want to describe exactly what it will do. The Parental Bill of Rights is a tool for parents, giving them a clearer say in their child’s education. This tool will make clear that, in Texas, PARENTS MATTER. Under the Parental Bill of Rights, Texas will empower those parents by clearly recognizing that parents have the primary role in making educational decisions for their children while also protecting our children from bad actors.
The fact is no government program can or should replace the role that parents play in their children’s lives. That’s why I have consistently fought to defend the rights of parents, whether it comes to education or healthcare.
When other states forced their students to stay at home and learn virtually, we opened Texas schools in the summer of 2020, empowering parents with the choice to send their children to in-person learning or to continue with virtual education. This past fall, when local governments across the nation were imposing mask mandates for students, I issued an executive order barring those mandates in Texas, instead leaving the decision with parents, where it belongs.
Perhaps most importantly, when parents were rightfully concerned about critical race theory being taught in Texas classrooms, I signed two bills banning it in our public schools, and now, Texas has the toughest anti-CRT protections in the nation.
There is more we need to do, though, to preserve the rights of parents and give our children the futures they deserve. Parents all across this country are losing a voice when it comes to their children’s education. Many of them feel powerless to do anything about it. This must end because parents matter.
Under my proposed Parental Bill of Rights, we will amend the Texas Constitution to reinforce that parents are, in fact, the primary decision-makers in all matters involving their children. This is critical to ensure parents have the voice they deserve in their child’s education.
Texas parents have every right to know what is being taught to their children, and under my plan, we will expand parents’ access to the course curriculum and all material available in their child’s school. We will also codify into law that if parents have a concern about something their children are being taught, their concerns will be heard quickly and respectfully.
With many children struggling in virtual education environments, some children now need more time to make up the deficit. That’s why in my Parental Bill of Rights, we will give Texas parents the option to decide if their child should repeat a course or grade level, instead of leaving that decision solely in the hands of the school district.
We also have a duty to protect our children’s privacy while they are in school, which is why my plan prohibits the selling or sharing of a student’s personal data outside of the Texas public education system. We must protect them from obscene content while they are in the classroom. My plan would ensure that any educational personnel convicted of providing minors with pornographic materials will lose their educational public credentials and state licensing, forfeit their retirement benefits, and be placed on the “Do Not Hire” list.
Finally, we must ensure that parents are aware of the rights they have. This is the only way for them to hold schools accountable. Therefore, my plan would require that schools post the Parental Bill of Rights online so parents have easy access to it. Additionally, school districts would be required to provide parents with information and options for charter schools, magnet schools, and other public schools for their children.
This isn’t about a culture war, and it isn’t about playing politics. The Parental Bill of Rights is a critical tool to give parents back control in their child’s education because nothing is more important to the future of Texas than ensuring that the next generation has the support and resources they need to succeed.
Greg Abbott is the governor of Texas.
