35th District representatives sound alarm on parental rights, education
CONTACT: Hanna Scott, Public Information Officer | 360-968-3938
35th District representatives sound alarm on parental rights, education
Reps. Travis Couture and Dan Griffey, both Republicans from Allyn, are speaking out about the attack on parental rights being proposed by the majority party in HB 1296.
“House Bill 1296 is an attack on democracy,” said Couture. “It guts the parental rights included in I-2081, an initiative to the Legislature, passed less than a year ago, after nearly half a million Washingtonians signed a petition to lawmakers in order to protect their voice in raising their children.”
“This bill is an affront to the citizens who supported I-2081,” said Griffey. “Not only does it remove vital rights of parents, but it strips the people of Washington of their right to have a say on the law through the referendum process.”
HB 1296 would:
- Extend timelines for requested records to be shared with parents;
- Removes from the list of rights the right to examine the textbooks, curriculum, and supplemental material used in their child’s classroom;
- Removes the right to access certain public school records, including, medical or health records and records of any mental health counseling;
- Removes parental right to certain notifications from public schools, including medical services being offered or referred to their child;
- Removes parental right to be notified immediately when a crime has been committed against or by their child;
- Authorizes OSPI to enforce the new state policy with strict penalties, including loss of basic education dollars;
- Requires districts to update their gender-inclusive school policies to address the unique challenges “gender-expansive” students face and establish rule-making for OSPI to ensure compliance;
- Removes parental rights to be notified and opt their child out of assignments, role-playing activities, recordings of their child, other student engagements, or certain surveys that include questions about certain topics about the child or their family, including but not limited to:
- Political affiliations or beliefs;
- Mental or psychological problems;
- Sex behavior or attitudes;
- Illegal, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
- Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs.
In its current form, the bill says schools can wait up to 48 hours to tell parents if there’s an allegation that their child has been the victim of a criminal act, including sexual misconduct by a school employee.
Couture proposed an amendment that required immediate notification in such situations.
Democrats rejected the amendment in the House Education Committee.
“We have seen a stunning amount of sexual misconduct and sexual assaults by educators in our schools, said Couture. “As a parent myself, I would be disgusted and sickened to know there was an allegation that a school employee had engaged in sexual misconduct with my child, and I was not told for two days. There is no legitimate reason for anything other than immediate notification.”
“As a husband and father whose female family members have survived sexual abuse, I have made it my mission during my time in the Legislature to fight for better protections for sexual assault survivors,” said Griffey. “This bill – like so many we are seeing from the majority party – prioritizes the abuser over the survivor. Worse yet, it does this in what should be a safe space – our children’s schools. I am disgusted that my seatmate’s amendment was defeated.”
Couture and Griffey say our schools need to be focused on improving outcomes.
“The latest report card on educational outcomes by the National Center for Education Statistics shows Washington state continues to have some of the most abysmal scores in reading and math in roughly three decades,” said Couture. “The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the majority party are failing our kids. Instead of focusing on radical ideologies, they need to fix educational outcomes.”
The dismal ranking of student outcomes in Washington state is the driving factor behind Couture’s HB 1140, which would create portable education savings accounts to help families escape failing schools, prioritizing students in special education, and those who are low-income or in state designated failing schools.
“This bill gives families the freedom to choose where their child gets an education so they can take educational outcomes into their own hands,” explained Couture. “This program prioritizes students over systems.”
HB 1140 creates a state-issued debit card that families can use to pay for educational needs, such as private school tuition, fees, textbooks, tutors, therapies, and more.
HB 1140 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Education Committee on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 8 AM.
Sign up to provide written testimony or testify in-person or remotely on HB 1140.
Learn how to get involved in the legislative process.
Additional Background
The Nation’s Report Card/Washington State
Nation’s Report Card: Oregon, Washington test scores mostly down
Nation’s report card: WA Student achievement gaps widen, covid struggles continue
Former Shelton High School counselor arrested on child rape and other charges
Seattle schools to pay $16 million to former student alleging years of sexual abuse
Vancouver high school teacher, accused of sex abuse by former student, resigns
