Few questions stir stronger feelings than who gets the final say over a child’s upbringing. For conservatives the answer has never changed: parents do. Yet in recent years, many families have felt that schools treat them as spectators rather than partners.
Transparency First
Parents are asking for things that once seemed uncontroversial: the right to see curriculum and reading lists, to know what surveys their children are given, and to be informed about significant decisions affecting their child at school. States across the country have responded with parental bills of rights that put these guarantees into law.
Partnership, Not Conflict
The goal is not war with teachers — most of whom serve families faithfully — but a restored partnership in which schools answer to the communities that fund them. School board meetings, once sleepy affairs, have become one of the most vital arenas in American civic life, and that engagement is healthy.
The Stakes
Education shapes the next generation of citizens. A system that sidelines parents will lose their trust — and their children, as the growth of school choice shows.
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