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Polarizing bill on parents' rights to weigh in on children's education
The Georgia Senate approved a controversial bill in a party-line vote. The legislation allows parents to review instructional materials at the beginning of each grading period.
ATLANTA - In a party-line vote Tuesday, the Georgia Senate approved a bill that supporters said will give parents more power to decide what their children are taught in public school.
Under the "Parents' Bill of Rights," parents or guardians would be allowed to review all the instructional materials slated to be used in their children's classrooms at the beginning of each grading period.
The legislation also requires local school districts to come up with procedures for parents to review that material as well as a way for them to object to it. Parents would also be able to appeal to the local school board and the state Board of Education if they are not satisfied with the school's response.
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State Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Buford, is the primary sponsor of the bill and one of Gov. Brian Kemp's floor leaders.
"The governor and I believe parents and the school system need to work together instead of against each other," said Sen. Dixon.
Democrats, however, argued that the legislation is divisive and politically motivated.
"It is such a shame that we are willing to get so deep into manufactured crises and partisan politics that we are going after teachers," said state Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta.
The bill is one of a slate of education-related bills Gov. Kemp is attached to this session, including one that would ban critical race theory or similar teachings from Georgia's public schools. Some see the "Parents' Bill of Rights" as an extension of that.
"If you're teaching American history, you teach the whole history, not just part of it," said state Sen. David Lucas, D-Macon. "Are you telling me that a parent now can dictate as to what is taught in the classroom?"
Sen. Lucas also expressed concerns about the portion of the bill that allows parents to opt their children out of sex education.
Others worried about the amount of work this will add to the state's already overburdened educators.
The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 33 to 21.
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