(Editor’s Note: The following article was submitted by Betsy Armstrong, a former Becker school board member, attorney, and school district resident).

The Minnesota Senate Committee on Education, Finance and Policy held hearings Monday on the “Minnesota Parents’ Bill of Rights.” The measure consisted of bills submitted by Senators Paul Gazelka, Michelle Benson, Justin Eichorn and Roger Chamberlain.

Sen. Gazelka’s bill required schools to provide greater transparency to parents who want to see what their children’s textbooks contain. 

Sen. Benson’s bill required teachers to make a syllabus available on-line for each class. 

Sen. Eichorn’s bill sought a legislative finding that parents have a fundamental right to direct their children’s’ education. 

Sen. Chamberlain’s bill would prevent a school board from requiring that a parent speaking before the board publicly state his/her address, while retaining the requirement to provide the address to the board.

Sen. Gazelka testified that as he has been campaigning all across Minnesota, he has spoken to people about their concerns and heard from many parents who were frustrated because they were not able to review the on-line curriculum data for their local school, and even some who did not know that they had the right to do so. Gazelka’s bill would require schools to (1) implement a procedure to provide access, immediately and without cost, to all instructional material to inquiring parents and (2) to notify all parents of this policy at the beginning of each school year. Gazelka later added to his testimony, emphasizing that his bill aims at restoring trust in the relationship between parents and schools. Gazelka also noted that thousands of dissatisfied parents have been removing their children from public schools, and his bill would open communication to attempt to resolve the problem.

Sen. Gazelka invited Betsy Armstrong to testify before the committee in recognition of her knowledge of these issues and her several presentations on them. 

“In my testimony, I said that Gov. Walz’s COVID lockdowns had a ‘silver lining,’ because many Minnesota parents had the opportunity to listen in ‘real time’ to the on-line classes and saw — for the first time — what their children were actually being taught,” says Armstrong. “Some parents felt that aspects of the newer material did not align with the values they were trying to teach their kids.” 

Armstrong also informed the Committee that “The news is replete with concerns of parents that critical race theory especially, and questionable gender diversity policies, have crept into the curriculum.”

Sen. Benson testified that her bill would require teachers in K-12 post class syllabi electronically so that parents would know what was being taught.

Sen. Eichorn testified that his bill would clarify the existing fundamental rights of parents to direct their children’s education. It provides that school districts may not withhold information about their child’s well-being. Eichorn emphasized that parents’ rights don’t stop at the schoolhouse door. 

Renee Carlson, who serves as general counsel for True North Legal, testified in support of Eichorn’s bill. 

Armstrong encourages those who are interested in this topic to listen and watch the video of the hearing at: https://mnsenate.granicus.com/player/clip/8084?view_id=1&redirect=true. Carlson’s excellent testimony begins at one hour and 11 minutes.

Chairman Chamberlain testified that his bill would prohibit a school board from requiring that those who appear before it publicly state their home address. The school board could continue to require that the speaker inform it of their address. The purpose of the bill is to protect those who wish to make a statement from retribution by those who disagree with their position.

The Committee passed all four measures. Kendra Caduff, representing Education Minnesota, stated that the state-wide teachers’ union opposed the Parent’s Bill of Rights.