- Editor
HB618 - Maryland Parental Rights Act
Below is a link to HB618, Maryland Parental Rights Act sponsored by Delegates Cox, Arikan, Parrott, Reilly and Szeliga.
The Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition spent months advocating for this Parents Bill Of Rights Act. This was a high priority for us and here it is. It’s time to show support for this legislation.
The Parents Bill of Rights Act is built on five core principles that would apply to all schools nationwide that receive federal funding:
* Parents have the right to know what their children are being taught.
* School districts must make the curriculum publicly available and provide parents with a list of books and reading materials available in the schools' library.
* States must provide the public with a copy of any revisions to the state's academic standards or learning benchmarks.
* Parents must be given timely notice of any plan to eliminate gifted & talented programs.
* Parents have the right to be heard.
* Teachers must offer two in-person meetings with parents each year.
* Parents must be allowed to address the school board on issues impacting the education of their child.
* Educators and policymakers must respect the First Amendment right of parents as well as their right to assemble and have a say in their child's education.
* School districts should consider community feedback when making decisions.
* Parents have the right to see a school’s budget and spending.
* School district budgets must be publicly disclosed, including revenues and expenditures.
* Parents have the right to protect their child’s privacy.
* Schools must not share student data with tech companies without parental permission or sell data for commercial purposes.
* Parents must have a say when school districts develop or update student privacy policies and procedures.
* Parents must consent before any medical exam takes place at school, including mental health or substance abuse screenings.
* Parents have the right to keep their child safe.
* Schools must notify parents of violent activity occurring on school grounds or school-sponsored events while still protecting the privacy of the students involved in the incident.
Bob Keeshan, who was Captain Kangaroo on 50’s TV said, “No other person or outside force has a greater influence on a child than a parent.”
We need to protect that. No one cares for a child more than the parent. No one!
Help Support HB618 Parents Bill of Rights Act
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We need parents to sign up for oral and written testimony on Thursday, February 17th at 3:00 pm. Oral testimony will be done via zoom.
The window to sign up for oral testimony is tomorrow February 15th from 8 to 3 pm. Written testimony must be sent during that time as well.