We write today about some of the provisions in the bill up for markup today, H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act.
We are encouraged to see the requirements for more transparency from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). This will help students, parents, schools, education technology companies, and the general public understand ED’s important work to protect student privacy.
We believe parents and caretakers are critical to a child’s educational journey. Parents have long had the right to know what’s going on in their child’s school, engage with curriculum, meet with teachers, and speak up in community meetings. The bill up for consideration today enshrines many of these existing rights – some of which are already included in laws passed decades ago – but also creates many unintended consequences for parents and students of all ages.
Additionally, the bill may also come at odds with our country’s copyright laws requiring the public posting of curriculum on publicly available websites. There are no provisions in the bill that consider important longstanding copyright laws, or consideration for existing curriculum transparency requirements under federal law. This bill should receive a referral to the House Judiciary Committee.
Read the full letter here.
