Letlow, Graves release statements on Parents Bill of Rights

After the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Parents Bill of Rights Act by a 213-208 vote, Louisiana Reps. Julia Letlow and Garret Graves released statements commenting on the legislation.

Letlow, who represents Louisiana's fifth district, introduced the act with 73 Republican co-sponsors at the beginning of March.

“As a mom of two and a former educator, I believe for children to succeed, they need families and schools to work together as partners throughout the learning process,” Letlow said in a statement. “After spending nearly a year and a half working to pass this bill, I’m grateful that we’re finally able to advance this critical legislation.” 

The Parents Bill of Rights is built on five principles:

• Parents have the right to know what their children are being taught.
• Parents have the right to be heard.
• Parents have the right to see the school budget and spending.
• Parents have the right to protect their child’s privacy.
• Parents have the right to keep their children safe.

“Nobody loves kids more than their parents – that relationship is second to none," Graves stated. "Community fixtures like our schools play a vital role in every child’s upbringing, but parents’ role can’t be diminished or replaced by an institutionalized approach to education. This bill will ensure parents have a clear voice in their child’s education. I’m proud to join Congresswoman Julia Letlow in this effort to support our students and their families."

The summary of the bill is available at Congress.gov:

This bill establishes various rights of parents and guardians regarding the elementary or secondary school education of their children. Local educational agencies and schools must comply with the requirements of the bill in order to receive federal education funds.

Each LEA must post on a publicly accessible website (or otherwise widely disseminate to the public) the curriculum for each grade level and include detailed budget information in its annual report card.

The bill provides for additional family educational and privacy rights, including by prohibiting schools from selling student information for commercial or financial gain.

An elementary school or a school consisting of only grades 5-8 must obtain parental consent before changing a minor child's gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on school forms; or allowing a child to change the child's sex-based accommodations.

It is unlikely the act will receive the support needed to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate.