During his two and a half months in Congress, U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., has carved out a niche for himself on education issues.
Bean has been front and center as U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calf., and the GOP leadership have unveiled education proposals. On Friday, at a roundtable at Jacksonville University, Bean, who leads the U.S. House Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee welcomed U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-NC, to the First Coast. Foxx is the chairwoman of the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee.
“I was joined today by parents, teachers, and education officials all united by our belief that our education system is critical to the future of our nation. Schools are struggling to retain good teachers and colleges and universities are saddled with government regulation. It’s time to reclaim the moral high ground in America and unleash bold, transformative education reforms that will empower parents, protect kids, and prepare the workforce of the future,” Bean said.
“I am proud to have participated in these important roundtable discussions, which provided Congressman Bean and me with opportunities to hear from parents and educators about improving American education. I am always eager to explore new pathways to expand skills-based education opportunities, education freedom, and parental involvement in schools. As the education landscape in this country continues to evolve, I am dedicated to promoting freedom and access to the best possible education opportunities for every American family,” said Foxx.
Bean and Foxx should be on center stage this week as the GOP majority is expected to bring the “Parents Bill of Rights Act” from U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., up for a vote.
“It doesn’t matter [what] the color of your skin [is] or your wealth, when you have a child that is the most important thing in your life… one thing we know in this country, education is the great equalizer. We want to parents to feel empowered and that’s what we’re doing here,” said McCarthy when he showed the bill earlier this month.
“There is never a time when a teacher should tell a student, “let’s keep this between ourselves” or “let’s not tell your parents what we are doing.” This bill says no—we are not going to allow that going forward,” Bean said. “Parents are not going to be kept in the dark. Parents are going to be part of the education process going forward.”
The proposed “Parents Bill of Rights” includes giving parents the following:
The right to know what their children are being taught
The right to be heard
The right to see the school budget and spending
The right to protect their child’s privacy
The right to keep their children safe
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