Fact Sheet: Give Parents More Control Of Their Child’s Education: 10 Model Policies To Restore Excellence To America’s Schools

September 29, 2022

We have a duty to restore transparency and accountability to America’s schools and educate the next generation about our Nation’s foundational ideals of responsible citizenship. These model policies achieve exactly that.

Policies

 

What can you do?

 

Transparency

The majority of registered voters believe:

  • Parents should be able to see all curriculum plans and materials for classes their children take. 
  • Parents should have the most say in what children are taught. 

Increase Transparency

*More on these policies on page 2

  1. Academic Transparency Act
  2. Financial Transparency Act
  3. Contractor Nondiscrimination Act

Accountability

The majority of registered voters believe:

  • Most public schools have lowered standards rather than demanding more from students.
  • Too many public school boards do not respect the role of parents.  

 

Promote Accountability

*More on these policies on page 2

  1. Values Assessment Act
  2. School Board Election Date Act
  3. Legislative Review Act

American Values

The majority of registered voters believe:

  • It is appropriate to teach that America was founded on noble ideals and is a force for good in the world in public school education. 
  • U.S. history lessons should be grounded in the principle that “America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance. Our Nation has a tragic history of racial injustice, but we  have made and continue to make progress.”

 

Preserve American Values

*More on these policies on page 2

  1. Partisanship Out of Civics Act
  2. Schools Nondiscrimination Act
  3. Social Studies Curriculum Act
  4. Civics Course Act

BOTTOM LINE: Enact these model policies to support excellent education and parental rights! Americans overwhelmingly support the honest teaching of American history and giving parents more control over their children’s education.

MODEL POLICIES PRESENTED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS AND AMERICA FIRST POLICY INSTITUTE:

  1. The Partisanship Out of Civics Act removes the requirement to discuss current events and does not allow social or political advocacy as a course requirement. It then bars both promoting racist or bigoted concepts and teaching a defamatory history of America’s founding.
  2. The Academic Transparency Act requires public schools to publish financial expenditures, school board minutes, class syllabi, and other academic documents on the school’s website in a timely manner.  
  3. The Financial Transparency Act requires school districts to publish all budgets and itemized expenditures on the school district’s website.  
  4. The School Board Election Date Act shifts school board election dates to the same day as the general election, ensuring that all voters are aware of the school board election. 
  5. The Social Studies Curriculum Act mandates Western Civilization, United States history, civics, economics, and state history to be taught in public schools.
  6. The Civics Course Act ensures honest teaching of American history. This act mandates a year-long high school civics course, including requirements to study the primary documents of the American founding. This act also protects against the reframing and factually incorrect teaching of American history and bans politically motivated civics activities.
  7. The Schools Nondiscrimination Act prevents race, sex, or other group identities from determining whether certain ideas, persons, or events are excluded or included in the curriculum.
  8. The Contractor Nondiscrimination Act prohibits outside vendors for school districts from promoting any racist or bigoted concepts through teaching or teacher training.  
  9. The Legislative Review Act requires all existing academic standards and any upcoming revisions to be submitted to the state legislature and governor for review. 
  10. The Values Assessment Act prevents schools from rewarding or punishing teachers based on their commitment to a preferred set of political or philosophical ideas.  

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