Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita on Tuesday released the third volume of the Parents’ Bill of Rights – this time focusing on school choice, the liberty of parents to choose where their children attend school.
Rokita
“It is a parent’s sacred duty to raise their children according to their values,” Rokita said. “Above all others, parents are the ones best suited to make decisions on their children’s behalf, including the schools they attend. I will always fight for parents’ fundamental and constitutional rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children.”
Among other things, the latest installment of the Parents’ Bill of Rights outlines laws and processes enabling parents to:
- Enroll students in private schools through Indiana’s school choice programs;
- Transfer students from one public school to another; or
- Homeschool.
Indiana has one of the most robust school choice programs in the country, with over 35,000 students receiving Choice Scholarships in 2021.
“In addition to making sure parents are well-informed of their rights,” Rokita said, “I will continue advocating for legislation that puts the needs and interests of parents and students ahead of other entrenched forces such as teachers’ unions.”
Last session, the Indiana General Assembly passed into law two proposals supported by AG Rokita – one requiring public comment be allowed at school board meetings and another protecting biological females participating in girls’ sports.
The Parents’ Bill of Rights continues to highlight for parents and taxpayers areas in which they may find gaps and omissions in state law. Future legislative priorities could include measures 1) requiring schools to make curriculum available for parents to view and 2) prohibiting curriculum that teaches the concept that people should be treated differently solely because of their race, religion, sex, or other characteristics.
Rokita released the first volume of his Parents’ Bill of Rights in June 2021. That installment focused on school governance, curriculum adoption, standards adoption, and civil rights complaints.
The second volume, released in November 2021, detailed parents’ rights regarding medical decisions for their children, such as access to student health records, vaccination requirements, and educational accommodations.
The third and latest volume is now online at Attorney General Rokita’s website.
A fourth installment is also in the works. It will cover religious liberty in schools, making clear that students have a right to practice their faith inside the schoolhouse gates.