As representatives of New York’s 21st Congressional District and North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, chairwomen of the House Republican Conference and House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and more importantly, as mothers and grandmothers, we find the state of education in America concerning.
Ask any parent and he or she will tell you that America’s kids are in trouble. We hear it from parents nationwide, whether from the High Country of North Carolina or Upstate New York. The COVID-19 pandemic and extreme Democrats’ extended authoritarian school lockdowns gave parents a window into their children’s education. For the first time, parents had a clear view of the falling academic standards and the radical woke curriculum that was being forced on their children.
When parents expressed their opposition to the woke curriculum at school board meetings, President Biden weaponized the federal government against them. The Department of Justice directed the FBI to investigate and prosecute these concerned parents at the behest of special interests who labeled them as “domestic terrorists.”
Numbers don’t lie, and they’re telling us that parents’ concerns that Democrats’ extended authoritarian school lockdowns were highly detrimental to our children. The Nation’s Report Card’s 2022 assessment for eighth graders found that 69 percent were not proficient in reading and 73 percent were not proficient in math, the lowest points in nearly two decades. History and civics scores plummeted to their lowest mark since the tests were first administered in the 1990s. It’s estimated that most students would need, on average, an additional 4.5 months of mathematics instruction and 4.1 months of reading instruction to recover. These scores confirmed what parents already knew: in a matter of only two years, a generation of progress was lost.
That’s why we, as House Republicans, made a Commitment to America. We demanded accountability and promised the American people that we would fight for a future that is built on freedom, and that is exactly what we have done.
After taking the majority, we held oversight hearings in order to hold the Biden administration accountable and quickly moved to pass H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights.
Parents deserve to know what their children are being taught. They should be able to see their school’s curriculum, to know what books are in the library, and to get timely notice about any plans to eliminate gifted and talented programs. Parents have the right to be heard, without fear of retaliation. They should be able to speak with their children’s teachers, principals, and school board members, and their school districts should seriously consider their feedback. Parents also deserve to see the school budget and spending. They need to know where the money is coming from, what influence it might be having on the school programs, and where the money is going.
Parents also have the right to protect their child’s privacy. Schools should not be selling any student information to outside sources, and parents should be able to control how any third party uses their children’s personal data. Lastly, parents have the right to keep their children safe. If there is violence in school, parents deserve to know. The Parents Bill of Rights gives a voice to parents all across the country and ensures they have a say in their children’s education. Sadly, not a single Democrat crossed the aisle to join us in affirming these rights for the American people.
In the face of a radical Biden administration, powerful teachers’ unions, and Far Left political opportunists bent on pushing a woke agenda, we have fought to ensure that schools are transparent with parents about what their children are being taught and that parents have the tools to enact change. We know that parents are the primary stakeholders in the education of their children and are proud to have delivered this result for the American people.
As students return to school this fall in the High Country of North Carolina, the North Country and Upstate New York, and all over the country, we stand with them. We stand for their parents’ rights to transparency, a safe learning environment, and educational freedom.
Rep. Elise Stefanik represents New York’s 21st District. Rep Virginia Foxx represents North Carolina’s 5th District.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.