Kansas Legislature passes bill that enables parents to object to classroom assignments
Kansas parents will be able to pull their child from classroom assignments or activities they disagree with under legislation headed to Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk.
The Kansas House Thursday voted 76-46 to approve a policy outlining that districts must allow parents to pull their child from activities that are not part of curriculum if it violates their values. However, that student will still be required to complete an alternative assignment to receive course credit.
The bill is the latest iteration of parental rights policies that Republicans in the Legislature began pushing last year on a wave of parental anger prompted by COVID-19 policies and teaching about race and gender in schools.
Proponents argue the legislation is essential to ensure parents know they have power over their child’s education if they disagree with what is happening in a classroom.
“What we heard in committees were parents that only went to their teacher, they went to their principle and higher up in the district and did not have their concerns addressed,” said Rep. Susan Estes, a Wichita Republican. “If there is one family that is denied their rights we need to address it.”
While the bill is a weaker policy than what Republicans pursued last year, it still faced objection from key public school groups who said it represented an unnecessary government intrusion on local school boards and classrooms. The Kansas National Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union which objected to the amendment, was one of Kelly’s key supporters in her reelection campaign.
“This bill over-inflates the role of the family,” said Rep. Kirk Haskins, a Topeka Democrat. “Teachers are working hard ... We need to play a role but it needs to be an equal role.”
The bills fell short of a veto-proof majority with 6 Republicans crossing party lines to vote no with the Democrats.
Rep. Bill Clifford, a Garden City Republican, cited his local school policies as his reason for voting no.
“I’m not sure what problem we’re solving today in my district,” he said.
Brittany Jones, a lobbyist for Kansas Family Voice, a conservative advocacy group affiliated with the national Family Policy Alliance, said she appreciated public education groups coming to the table to discuss language in the bill but was “flabbergasted” by their continued opposition.
“Unfortunately we’re in a state where the public education institutions don’t want input from parents,” Jones said. “It really comes down to the institutions themselves have decided they know better than parents.
Lawmakers Thursday are also expected to approve a policy requiring districts to ensure students are separated based upon sex assigned at birth in accommodations on overnight field trips.
This story was originally published April 6, 2023 at 11:27 AM.
