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WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Bonamici Introduces Bill of Rights for Students and Parents

March 22, 2023

WASHINGTON, DC [03/22/23] – National and local organizations supporting parents, teachers, and civil rights are praising Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici’s Bill of Rights for Students and Parents.

The Bill of Rights for Students and Parents, H.Res. 219, is a comprehensive resolution that serves as a blueprint for public education rooted in evidence-based practices that support teaching, learning, and family engagement. The resolution is backed by 42 Members of Congress, including several senior members of the Education and Workforce Committee, and 59 education, civil rights, and parents’ organizations.

“Students thrive when parents and educators work together,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “I was a public school parent and advocate for 15 years, and I have been alarmed by recent attacks on public education that would make schools less welcoming and less able to provide the education students need. I’m proud to have worked with a broad range of organizations representing students, parents, and educators from diverse communities to develop a Bill of Rights for Students and Parents that is inclusive of all students and that fosters collaborative family engagement.”

Praise for Bonamici’s Bill of Rights for Students and Parents:

National PTA

“There could not be a more urgent time to promote learning environments where students feel safe, supported and ready to learn. And it is more important than ever that families and schools work together and develop strong partnerships to support students’ success academically, socially and emotionally,” said National PTA President Anna King. “National PTA applauds Representative Bonamici for developing the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents Resolution. The resolution is a significant step in ensuring all students—including students from historically marginalized communities—have access to a high-quality, equitable and well-rounded education in a welcoming, supportive and inclusive school.

“As outlined in the resolution, Congress:

  • Recognizes the importance of sufficiently supporting public schools so they can provide all students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for success in life and provides social mobility and economic empowerment;
  • Celebrates and encourages the engagement of students and their families in education and collaboration between families, educators, school leaders and community members with the goal of supporting student learning, growth and development;
  • Urges the adoption of educational materials by schools that are historically accurate, reflect the diversity of the nation, and prepare students to think critically and participate actively in a multiracial and multiethnic democracy; and
  • Promotes the implementation of practices that reduce disparities, eliminate discrimination and make schools safer, more inclusive and more supportive for all students.

“PTA has long believed that every child deserves to go to school excited to learn in a safe and nurturing environment and all students have the right to a high-quality, fair and equitable education. We also know that families are key partners in their children’s educational success and provide important perspectives on decisions impacting their children and schools. It remains a top priority of our association to advocate for increased investments in public education and meaningful family engagement to ensure that all children have access to adequately funded public schools and the support they need to improve their overall well-being and enable them to reach their full potential.”

National Parents Union

“There are ways to write a Parents Bill of Rights that guarantees student progress and addresses the crises that our schools and families face across the country and that’s what Representative Suzanne Bonamici did alongside our network of more than 1,000 affiliated organizations in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico to ensure any document ‘for parents’ would be created ‘by parents.’

“Pitting parents against parents, parents against teachers, and adults against students does nothing to move us forward. We should be standing shoulder-to-shoulder for the future of our children, instead of continuing to go head-to-head and ensure legislation is inclusive of the perspective of all modern American families.”

National Education Association

“As educators, we are called to this profession to ensure every student, no matter their race or background, has the freedom to learn and reach their full potential,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “In every community across the nation, parents and educators are partners, working together to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. Educators are beyond frustrated that some lawmakers would rather ban books and deny students an honest education than meaningfully help our students thrive. Now is the time to nurture great relationships between parents and educators and fulfill the promise of an inspiring, inclusive, and age-appropriate curriculum in a safe and welcoming public school that prepares each and every student for our diverse and interconnected world. That’s why the National Education Association supports Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici’s Bill of Rights for Students and Parents. She understands that the collaboration between a student’s educators and caregivers is a critical element of their success. On behalf of NEA’s 3 million educators, we urge Congress to support and pass this resolution.”

American Federation of Teachers

“Educators understand that parents are our closest and most valued partners, and we care for their children as if they were our own,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “Any efforts to legislate the rights of students and parents should reflect what we know they actually want: public schools that are safe, welcoming, inclusive spaces where educators partner with parents and families to support kids, and help them learn basic skills, support their development, and encourage them to become critical thinkers, dreamers, and doers.”

“Instead of diverting resources in schools from teaching kids, opening avenues for bad actors to censor education, and banning books, Rep Bonamici’s resolution embraces proven policies that support teaching, learning, and parental involvement. Most importantly, her proposal advances the kinds of solutions that parents want and kids say they need to succeed in school.”

NAACP

“The NAACP thanks Congresswoman Bonamici for her efforts to preserve ‘supportive, inclusive, safe, and responsive public schools’ for all children and families,” said Ashley L. White, Ed Fellow for Equity Access and Opportunity at the NAACP. “The proposed House Resolution makes a bold and compassionate statement regarding how Congress should support the rights of students, parents, educators, school leaders, educational support staff, and community members – through collaborative initiatives and improvement as opposed to legislation that divides parents from students and educators, excludes select student groups, and creates overwhelmingly hostile environments.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

“The civil rights community has fought for more than 100 years for the rights of all students and parents to attend and be fully included in well-resourced public schools that prepare them for their futures,” said Liz King, Senior Program Director, Education Equity at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “Parents want their children to be respected and safe at school, to be accepting of people who are different from them, and to grow into adults who can think for themselves. No matter our color, background, or zip code, we want our children to have an education that imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and courage to do what’s right. We applaud Representative Bonamici for honoring those parental values and priorities in H.Res.219 and we urge all Members of Congress to show their support for this agenda.”

Center for American Progress

“On behalf of CAP, we’re grateful for Congresswoman Bonamici for introducing the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents, a resolution that supports unity between parents and teachers,” said Akilah Alleyne, Director and Team Lead of K-12 Education for the Center for American Progress. “Our nation’s schools are in grave danger of a breakdown in equitable governance, communication, and collaboration, and the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents rightly centers an inclusive and honest curriculum, parents and students from marginalized communities, mental health supports, a well-paid and trained teaching workforce, and more.

“In contrast, the House Republicans’ Parents’ Bill of Rights may appear to give parents an opportunity to review their child’s curriculum, but in reality would establish a slippery slope of mandates that would put students in harm's way of extremist parents and others who seek physical, mental, and emotional control over their children and other children beyond the closed walls of their home.”

National Urban League

“At the National Urban League, we believe in the power of education to provide opportunity and economic power to individuals, families, and communities,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “But for this vision to be realized, education must be inclusive, supportive, and honest. This is true all the time, and especially while proponents of discrimination and exclusion write policies and legislation to harm students and undermine the learning environment for everyone. As an alternative, H.Res. 219 lays out a vision for the type of education that reduces disparities, eliminates discrimination, and makes elementary and secondary schools more inclusive, supportive, and honest.”

Education Trust

“This resolution reflects what parents and families really want – schools that are welcoming and inviting to all students and that offer a well-rounded, historically accurate education that will prepare them for success in college or the workforce,” said Denise Forte, President and CEO of The Education Trust. “Parents overwhelmingly support their child’s teachers and schools know that lifting the voices of parents and students alike can truly empower young people.”

National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement

“We believe that students of every background, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic or social standing are entitled to a fair, impartial, equal and equitable public education experience at every developmental stage. Engaging each and every family as partners in their child's education should not only be a right, but an expectation,” said Vito Borrello, Executive Director for the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement. “When educators leverage a parent's knowledge of their child, they maximize the opportunity for each and every child to achieve academic and life success. NAFSCE applauds Congresswoman Bonamici for advancing the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents Resolution that is aligned with NAFSCE's definition for authentic family engagement.”

National Center for Learning Disabilities

"At the National Center for Learning Disabilities, we have worked with parents and caregivers for nearly 50 years to make our educational systems more inclusive for students with disabilities and ensure that parents and students are meaningfully involved in the special education process,” said Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “We affirm the vision set forth by Congresswoman Bonamici and other congressional leaders that promotes safe, supportive, and most importantly, inclusive learning environments."

National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment (National PLACE)

“I am writing on behalf of the National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment (National PLACE) to strongly support House Resolution 219, the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents, and oppose the misnamed HR 5 Parents Bill of Rights Act,” said Diana Autin, Executive Director of National PLACE.

“National PLACE’s mission is to strengthen the voice and impact of families and family-led organizations at decision-making tables, particularly those who currently face the most barriers to effective participation and whose children face the greatest challenges and disparities in access and outcomes.  As a national, family-led organization with 70 national, state, and local family-led organization members including Parent Centers, Family to Family Health Information Centers, Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health chapters, and Parent to Parent USA affiliates, we advocate for policies that enable families to have a meaningful role in decision-making regarding their children across systems.

“Many of our members serve families whose children would be harmed by HR 5 – children with disabilities or special health/mental health needs, low-income children, children of color or who are immigrant, children whose families have limited English proficiency, and children who themselves are LGBTQ+ or whose parents are LGBTQ+. HR 219 recognizes the importance of calling out the value of all students and their parents, and not just a few who are frightened by or opposed to equity across ‘isms.’”

Public Advocacy for Kids

“During this period of manufactured attacks on public education, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici is pushing back on stunts that use parents and students for political gain, and reminding us that the PUBLIC in public education is about unity, not division, about common interest and not special interest, about democracy and not autocracy, about inclusion and not exclusion,” said Arnold Fege, President of Public Advocacy for Kids. “At the right time, Rep. Bonamici steps into the breach with a resolution that broadens parental and student voice and opportunity, where rights are about all of us—parents, students, community, educators, non-profits, elected officials, and philanthropy—coming together, and where the commons celebrate both our unity and unique diversity that we all bring to the public education table.”    

Family Equality

“Representative Bonamici's Bill of Rights for Students and Parents Resolution recognizes that all parents, including the millions of LGBTQI+ parents, have the right to be involved in their children's education and to feel safe and accepted in their schools,” said Nikhil Vashee, Director of Education Law and Policy for Family Equality.

First Focus Campaign for Children

“First Focus Campaign for Children strongly supports Rep. Bonamici’s H.Res. 219, which recognizes the critical roles that students, their parents, and their teachers play in working together, as productive partners, on the awesome task of supporting students in their education,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children. “The goal is to support the best interests and well-being of students, including their health, nutrition, and safety, toward fulfilling students’ greatest potential as informed, involved, engaged, productive, and well-rounded citizens in our democracy.”

Education Law Center-PA

“Education Law Center-PA supports this much needed Resolution. In our work, we see the devastating harm to students that results from enduring systemic inequities: Black and Brown students and those who identify as LBGTQ+ in particular, are often pushed out, unsafe, and unwelcome in our public schools. These cohorts of eager learners are discriminated against and penalized for being their authentic selves and prohibited from learning. As a country, we must take proactive steps to create and sustain supportive, inclusive, safe, and responsive schools that welcome parents as trusted partners and effectively provide all students with the educational opportunities and skills they need to thrive.”

Southern Education Foundation

"Our focus as a nation must be on ensuring the best possible learning conditions for every student, preparing them to thrive in an increasingly global society,” said SEF President and CEO Raymond Pierce. “We must not be distracted from what matters most in education -- providing the resources for every school to address the needs of all students and ensure each class is led by a well-prepared and dedicated teacher."

The Bill of Rights for Students and Parents has been endorsed by: AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education); AASA, The School Superintendents Association; American Federation of Teachers; American Humanist Association; American Library Association; American Occupational Therapy Association; American Physical Therapy Association; American School Counselor Association; Americans United for Separation of Church and State; ASPIRA Association, Inc.; Autistic People of Color Fund; Autistic Self Advocacy Network; Center for American Progress; Communities In Schools; Council of Administrators of Special Education; Council on Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA); EDGE Consulting Partners; Education Law Center; Education Law Center-PA; Family Equality; First Focus Campaign for Children; Futures Without Violence; GLSEN; Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE); Human Rights Campaign; Institute for Educational Leadership; Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA); Muscular Dystrophy Association; NAACP; National Association for College Admission Counseling; National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement (NAFSCE); National Association of Pupil Services Administrators; National Association of School Nurses; National Association of School Psychologists; National Black Justice Coalition; National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD); National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment (National PLACE); National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; National Disability Rights Network (NDRN); National Education Association; National Parents Union; National PTA; National Urban League; National Women's Law Center (NWLC); Nollie Jenkins Family Center, Inc; Parents Organized for Public Education; PFLAG National; Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK); School Social Work Association of America; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators; Southern Education Foundation; Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (TED); The American Counseling Association; The Education Trust; The Jed Foundation; The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; The Trevor Project; The Young Women's Project; and UnidosUS.

It is co-sponsored by: Representatives Alma Adams, Earl Blumenauer, Barbara Lee, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Jamaal Bowman, Shontel Brown, Cori Bush, Kathy Castor, Judy Chu, Joe Courtney, Jasmine Crockett, Mark DeSaulnier, Dwight Evans, Lois Frankel, Raul Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Mike Levin, Kathy Manning, Jim McGovern, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Donald Payne, Mark Pocan, Katie Porter, Ayanna Pressley, Jamie Raskin, Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan, Andrea Salinas, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jan Schakowsky, Adam Schiff, Terri Sewell, Haley Stevens, Mark Takano, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, David Trone, and Frederica Wilson.

The full text of the resolution can be found here. A summary can be found here.

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