Parents' Bill of Education
Rights
Q.
Americans have the Bill of Rights to clarify what our constitutional rights
are, under the law. Doctors have the Hippocratic Oath. Journalists and lawyers
have creeds. The various religions have their doctrinal statements and
important prayers or books. But when it comes to parents, we're kind of on our
own when it comes to summing up what we believe or what we should be able to do
under the law. Is there any document or declaration that might guide parents in
knowing what their rights are when it comes to dealing with public schools?
There are such documents, here and
there. It might be a wonderful addition to your district's parental involvement
program to develop such a document; work with other parents and your school
district officials to do so.
The Parents' Bill of Rights for Texas
Public Schools is an example. It covers:
·
A parent's right to address the
school board, see policies, and get on the agenda
·
Reasonable access to a principal or
other administrator
·
The right to request a specific
academic class be added
·
The right to request that the child
take school work above his or her grade level and graduate early
·
Access to student records
·
Access to the state assessment
·
Complete review of all curriculum
and teaching materials
·
Special rights for parents of
children designated as learning-disabled or special-education
·
Access to complete public
information at a reasonable copying fee
·
Requirement for advance written
consent for certain controversial lessons and activities
·
Right to exempt their child from
specific instruction on religious or moral grounds
·
Right to withhold information from
the student directory
·
May not be forced to give a child
certain drugs even if an educator recommends it
Homework: See
another example of a Parents' Bill of Education Rights from Canada:
www.theschoolsweneed.com/forums/attachments/43.pdf