Parents Bill of Rights Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chair, parents have a fundamental right to know what their children are being taught, and it should not depend on how rich or poor they are.

The amendment under consideration would strike the phrase ``at no cost'' from the clause stating that parents have the right to review and make copies of curricula. In other words, this amendment would allow schools to charge parents for copies of what their children are being taught.

On principle, that is a terrible idea. Republicans believe that every parent, no matter how much money they have, should be free to know what their child is being taught.

This amendment is also terrible policy. Under the provision, schools could charge every parent exorbitant amounts for copying curricula and effectively make it impossible for parents to access the curriculum of their children. We know that schools can use cost as a weapon to keep curriculum a secret.

I spoke earlier about a Rhode Island mother of two, Nicole Solas, who became concerned that her child's school was teaching radical leftist ideology. She asked for the school's curriculum but was persistently stonewalled and told to file public records requests. She did, and the school hit her with a $75,000 bill.

That kind of conduct is outrageous. No parent should have to pay $75,000 to learn what their child is being taught. Just the threat of this kind of a bill has a chilling effect on other parents.

That is why it is essential we defeat this amendment. Parents should be able to see their child's curriculum without worrying the school will slam them with an exorbitant bill.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment and in favor of the underlying bill.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chair, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Again, we should defeat this amendment that would encourage schools to throw up roadblocks in front of parents.

We should defeat this amendment that would make money a barrier to parental engagement. We should defeat this amendment and support the underlying bill.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

We all know the impact that a good teacher can have. A good teacher can be motivating, challenging, and life changing for young students. We all want to have good teachers.

I spent my career in education. I have met countless teachers over the years who care deeply about students and want to do the right thing.

Unfortunately, too many in the education bureaucracy are working against teachers with professional development materials that seek to push radical ideologies meant to be passed on to students. Furthermore, there are numerous professional development groups that want to supply teachers with these talking points.

That is why it is essential we know exactly what teachers themselves are being taught, what kind of professional development they are receiving, and who is providing it.

We Republicans believe that parents have a fundamental right to know these answers. Parents need to know who is teaching the teachers, and taxpayers have a right to know what kind of professional development they are paying for.

Frankly, opposition to giving parents access to this information and these materials is evidence of the need for this bill. What is it that proponents of this amendment are trying to hide?

During the Rules Committee hearing, one of the Democrat Members even recognized that reviewing professional development materials is a fundamental right. He told me: ``I agree with you. These are really important, vital rights every parent in the country ought to have. . . . I would think that the best place to start would be . . . to ask the local school board and make sure that the right to review, for example, any professional development material is secured.''

I agree with the Democratic Congressman. Reviewing professional development material is a vital right of every parent.

His mistake, however, is to think that every local school board will voluntarily allow such. Many do not. That is why we need the Parents Bill of Rights Act.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment and in favor of the underlying bill, and

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chair, this amendment seeks to remove information about the education children are receiving from parents. We should defeat this amendment and support the underlying bill.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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Ms. FOXX. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

The motion was agreed to.

Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Fallon) having assumed the chair, Mr. Carter of Georgia, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5) to ensure the rights of parents are honored and protected in the Nation's public schools, had come to no resolution thereon.

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