Transparency, shining light on curriculum will benefit Kansas students | Commentary

Parents around the country and the state of Kansas have made it clear that they have a right to know what their children are being taught. We agree. As lawmakers, we have a duty to listen and ensure curriculum used in our public schools is fully accessible. That is what the Parents’ Bill of Rights is all about.

The Parents’ Bill of Rights and the Parents’ Transparency Portal work hand in hand to encourage and equip parents to be informed and engaged in their child’s education while also providing educators the opportunity to promote their instructional resources and ideas. When both parents and teachers are working together for the common good of the child everyone wins.

Unfortunately, rather than listening to parents and working with lawmakers on a solution to assuage any legitimate concerns about the bill, opponents of transparency have turned to division and manufactured hyperbole in a desperate attempt to protect the status quo and shield harmful ideology from parental scrutiny. However, we are resolute in our support of transparency. Campaigns to silence, mock and ignore parents have not worked nationally, and will not work in Kansas.

Contrary to misreporting, the bill does not require lesson plans to be uploaded one year in advance. Lesson plans were never required. The bill was amended to clearly specify what, when, and how materials would be added. The how would be determined by local school boards.

The main priority of the Parents’ Bill of Rights is to provide a “one stop shop” for parents, students and educators with a list of resources organized by grade level such as curriculum, links to standards and instructional materials. It affirms rights of parents to be informed and to inspect curriculum and other related materials.

While some say access already exists, the process to be informed can be unclear, unfamiliar and tedious to navigate. There have been incidents in Kansas in which parents were refused access to content or discouraged through a “slow-roll” approach. Transparency should not be tedious.

The bill also affirms that no course of study shall direct or compel a child to personally affirm any idea that violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As shocking as it may seem, we know of examples in Kansas schools in which the Civil Rights Act has been undermined through the promotion of segregation. Furthermore, parents are increasingly concerned about social emotional learning (SEL) questionnaires that promote unhealthy ideas which further take time away from the basics, such as math and reading, where Kansas students have been declining in achievement.

Ultimately, the Parents’ Bill of Rights has the mission of bridging any real or potential disconnect between busy parents and teachers. Despite the attempts by opponents to pit people against one another in this debate, there are no enemies in transparency. Accordingly, there should be no fear or concern about simply providing parents easy access to curricular materials that already should be available today.

Transparency is a critical step for our parents, our teachers, and our kids. Shining the light of day on curriculum will benefit students and help further their chances of success.

Rep. Kristey Williams, R-Augusta, represents Kansas’ 77th House District and is House K-12 Education Budget Chair. Sen. Renee Erickson, R- Wichita, represents Kansas’ 30th Senate District and is Senate Education Vice-Chair.

This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 2:19 AM.