ATLANTA — Governor Brian Kemp’s floor leaders, Senator Clint Dixon (R – Gwinnett) and Representative Josh Bonner (R – Fayetteville), have introduced legislation to establish a Parents’ Bill of Rights. The bill, announced February 2, aims to increase transparency in education by ensuring school districts have procedures in place for parental participation in schools, the governor’s office says.
“At a time when our nation is more divided than ever, we’re leading the fight to ensure parents do not have any barriers which prevent them from playing an active role in their child’s education,” said Kemp.
The governor says the bill is the product of a months-long, information-gathering campaign that includes input from superintendents, teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders.
“At its core, it is about transparency, access, and promoting an engaged partnership between the parent and educators to the ultimate benefit of the student,” he said.
The proposed legislation would codify into law parental rights regarding their child’s education, including the right to access instructional material. The bill affirms a parent’s ability to request information from a principal or superintendent and requires that they provide the requested information within three working days. If the principal or superintendent is unable to share the information within that timeframe, they must provide the parent with a description of the material and a timeline for its delivery, not to exceed 30 days.
“I’m honored to be carrying the governor’s legislation to protect Georgia’s students and the rights of their parents,” said Senator Dixon. “This will ensure that there is transparency for parents while upholding best practices for those who work hard to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.”
The legislation comes on the heels of several other recent Republican-backed education bills. One of those bills, introduced by another of Kemp’s floor leaders, Sen. Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia), would ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Georgia schools – something critics argue is not being done. Another bill aims to make it easier for Georgia parents to have books banned from their school libraries. And lawmakers are considering two bills that could make taxpayer-funded school vouchers available to all Georgia students.
