Biden Education Department launches parents council to strengthen relationships between schools, families

FIRST ON FOX: U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday launched the National Parents and Families Engagement Council in move to ensure parents can “constructively participate in their children’s education” and to facilitate “strong and effective relationships” between schools and families.

The council will consist of parent, family, or caregiver representatives from national organizations that will work with the Education Department to identify “constructive ways” to help families engage at the local level.

HOW PARENTS TOOK DOWN THE ‘TOXIC MACHINE’ OF THE NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION

“Parents are a child’s first teachers, and there’s no one better equipped to work with schools and educators to identify what students need to recover,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. “The National Parents and Families Engagement Council will serve as an important link between families, caregivers, education advocates and their school communities.”

Cardona said the council will also help to “foster a collaborative environment where we can work together to serve the best interest if students and ensure they have the academic and mental health support they need to recover from the pandemic and thrive in the future.”

ILLINOIS SCHOOL DISTRICT UNVEILS CURRICULUM TEACHING PRESCHOOLERS ABOUT SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY

The Department of Education said the council will be a “channel for parents and families to constructively participate in their children’s education by helping them understand the rights they have,” as well as to create a “feedback loop” with schools to discuss how COVID-19 relief and American Rescue Plan funds are deployed to meet students’ needs and identify summer learning and enrichment opportunities for children in their communities.

MISSOURI TEACHERS CAN HIDE PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS FROM PARENTS, SAYS POLICY IN DOZENS OF SCHOOLS

Education Department officials said that organization representatives will “reflect the diversity of the education system, including, but not limited to, families of students in public schools, charters, private schools, and homeschool.”

NJ BOARD OF EDUCATION REFUSES TO REVIEW CONTROVERSIAL SEX EDUCATION CURRICULUM FOR YOUNG STUDENTS

For months, parents across the nation have been sounding the alarm about a lack of respect for parental rights in the classroom, amid decisions made by school boards surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Parents have taken to school board meetings in their communities, protesting mask and vaccine mandates for children in schools. Parents have also protested and demanded more input with regard to in-person vs. remote learning for their children during spikes of COVID-19. And they have protested school boards’ decisions on certain curricula in the classroom, like critical race theory and controversial sex curriculum for young students. 

“Parents provide critical perspective, and they should always have a seat at the table whenever decisions are made that impact their children. And this is more important than ever in the effort to help students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Anna King, president of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) said. “National PTA applauds the Department of Education for launching the National Parents and Families Engagement Council and providing a channel for parents’ voices to be heard and considered.”

MOM SUING SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR IGNORING FOIA OF GENDER, ETHNIC CURRICULUM CALLS ON SCHOOLS TO WORK WITH PARENTS

King added: “This is essential to help make sure the needs of students are met coming out of the pandemic and ensure every child has everything they need to make their potential a reality.”

Vito Borrello, the executive director of the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement, applauded the creation of the council, saying it “provides the opportunity to bring diverse parent voices together to inform the Department’s policies and programs, while also serving as a dissemination vehicle for engaging families across the country in equitable education policy.”

OPINION: FIGHTING CRITICAL RACE THEORY: THE LAW IS A PARENT’S BEST WEAPON

The council at this point includes The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Fathers Incorporated; Generations United; Girls, Inc.; League of United Latin American Citizens; Mocha Moms; National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement; National Action Network; National Military Family Association; National Parent Teacher Association, National Parents Union; The National Center for Parent Leadership, Advocacy, and Community Empowerment, United Parent Leaders Action Network; and UnidosUS.

Officials said the council will meet in the coming weeks to discuss ways to best “constructively” engage with schools.

“The Department and the Council will hold local listening sessions with parents, families, principals, educators, and school community members to better understand the needs of students as they start the 2022-23 school year,” the Education Department said.