Parental Rights: Why do they matter?
By Scott Jensen, Taylor Jacobs, and Virginia Arbery
Candidates for FCSD#1 School Board
Parental rights stem from parental duties. These duties and rights are closely intertwined and play a crucial role in the context of K-12 education. Here’s how we think they relate and why they are important:
Parental Duties
Parents have an obligation to provide for and instruct their children. In regards to public school this means:
- Honor the Dedication of Teachers: Our schools are full of hard working teachers who sacrifice for our kids. Parents should collaborate with their child’s teacher, be active in school meetings, events, and parent-teacher conferences. This involvement is crucial for a child’s success.
- Advocacy: Parents must advocate for their child’s needs and rights within the educational system without detracting from the common good for all parents and children.
- Support Learning at Home: Prepare students for school by having them well rested, fed, and ready to learn and provide time and space for study at home.
Parental Rights
Parents have rights when it comes to their children’s education, including:
- Access to Information: Parents have the right to access their children’s educational records and be informed about their progress and any consequential issues that arise.
- Participation in Decision-Making: Parents should have the final say in decisions regarding their child’s education, health, and welfare. Parents should never be kept in the dark.
- Religious and Moral Instruction: Parents have the right to rear their children according to their own values and beliefs, and schools should keep in mind the common good of all parents and children.
When parents embrace their duties and schools honor parental rights, children will thrive. If elected as school board members for FCSD#1, we will ensure:
- schools are responsive to the needs of families
- parents are kept informed
- a relationship of trust is fostered between educators and parents.
Conservative values supporting families:
- Parental Duties and Rights
- School Safety
- Excellence in Education
- Transparency and Accountability
