The Minnesota Senate on Thursday approved two pieces of legislation that are connected to the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that lawmakers introduced last month.
The two pieces of legislation aim to ensure a parent’s right to privacy when they participate in school board meetings and transparency in the school curriculum.
S.F. 2729, authored by Senate Education Committee Chair Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes), eliminates the mandate that forces individuals to disclose their full address to speak at school board meetings.
“It is a parent’s absolute right to be actively involved in their child’s education, but they also have a right to privacy. Parents can’t be pushed aside. They can’t be bullied into submission. And they can’t be forced to reveal private information just to participate in meetings about their child’s school,” the lawmaker said.
S.F. 2575, introduced by State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake), forces schools to fully disclose education materials at no cost, allowing parents to review school curriculum.
“This is about listening to Minnesota parents and making them active partners in their children’s education,” Gazelka said. “We want to empower folks to be involved in the process to ask the right questions and make suggestions when they can. Teachers shouldn’t see this as a threat. It’s an opportunity to collaborate. We should all want parents to be involved from start to finish to ensure that our children are successful in school and throughout life.”
The two bills will now travel to the Minnesota House for further consideration. If approved, the measures would need Governor Walz’s signature for implementation.
The “Parents’ Bill of Rights” package has at least three more bills to be considered. Those measures seek to require classroom syllabus disclosure, create an Education Savings Account (ESA), and mandate schools have a regular system to notify families of children’s activities at school.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Minnesota Sun and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Roger Chamberlain” by Minnesota State Senate. Photo “Paul Gazelka” by Minnesota Senate Republicans. CC BY 2.0.
