The results of Virginia’s recent gubernatorial race show that supporting parental rights in education can be a winning campaign strategy. On November 2, Virginia parents clearly rejected the contention that they have no role to play in determining what their children learn in public schools. They stood up for their right to direct the education and upbringing of their children despite intimidating rhetoric from both the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). While NSBA has since issued a lackluster apology for its letter insinuating that the actions of some parents could constitute acts of “domestic terrorism,” there is no indication that Attorney General Merrick Garland intends to retract his controversial memorandum or instruct federal law enforcement agencies to stand down.
Fortunately, parents are not alone in their fight to regain agency over their kids’ education. A new pledge identifies several state legislators and other elected officials who support freedom and parental rights in education.
The Education Freedom Pledge is circulated by the American Federation for Children, an issue advocacy organization dedicated to empowering the families of K-12 students to choose the education that works best for them.
The Federation’s pledge asks lawmakers, candidates, governors, and voters to sign their names if they agree that “families in America deserve to have power over their children’s education.” Only the signatures of governors, state legislators, and state education chiefs are available to view.
In full, the pledge reads: “I pledge to support policies that promote parental rights in education and educational freedom. This includes the right of parents to voice their opinions at school board meetings and to take their children’s taxpayer-funded education dollars to the education providers of their choosing - whether it be a public, private, charter, or home school.”
The pledge clearly reveals those legislators and elected officials who support parental rights in education.
As of November 22, 2021, six Idaho legislators have signed the pledge: Reps. Priscilla Giddings, Karey Hanks, Tammy Nichols, Greg Ferch, and Ron Nate, plus Sen. Christy Zito. More legislators could sign the pledge to stand with Idaho parents and demonstrate that they support parents’ right to direct the education of their children.
As the primary educators of their children and as taxpayers who fund public schools, parents have skin in the game and deserve to voice their concerns over what their children learn in schools.
You can sign the pledge or view a list of legislators who have signed on at the following link: https://www.edfreedompledge.com/.
