Democrats, teachers unions fight to keep parents from learning what their kids are taught

Democrats and teachers unions are working to block bills proposed in at least a dozen states that would require curriculum transparency in schools across the country, arguing that parents’ access to their children’s learning materials online could lead to undue censorship and backlash against educators.

Parents are entitled under federal law to request their children's curriculum for review if they attend a federally funded school, but schools are not required to post the materials online. Lawmakers in at least 12 states have introduced legislation to require schools to post lists of all their teaching materials online, including books, articles and videos. 

A Missouri bill sponsored by Republican state Rep. Doug Richey would do just that, but Democrats say curriculum transparency bills would only further embolden parents to censor certain materials and trainings, like those pertaining to critical race theory (CRT) – a framework that involves deconstructing aspects of society to discover systemic racism beneath the surface. 

Richey’s bill, dubbed the Parents’ Bill of Rights, would also require schools to allow parents receive notifications whenever a teacher intends to teach a "divisive or controversial topic" that may conflict with a "parent's belief that all persons, regardless of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, or ancestry, should be treated equally."