Parental Rights & Education

A Conversation on Protecting Families’ Role in the Classroom

ACI FAQ on Parental Rights & Education

You’ve said parental rights in education are one of the defining issues of our time. Why?

Because education shapes the future of our country. Parents have the primary responsibility — and the inherent right — to guide their children’s upbringing, values, and learning. Schools should complement that role, not override it. When decisions about what’s taught, how it’s taught, and when certain topics are introduced are taken away from families, we lose the trust and balance that a healthy education system depends on.

Critics argue that parents already have plenty of influence. How do you respond?

Influence on paper doesn’t always translate into influence in practice. We’ve seen cases where curriculum changes happen quietly, where materials are introduced without full transparency, and where certain topics — like critical race theory or early introduction of gender identity concepts — appear in classrooms without parental consent. The issue isn’t about micromanaging teachers; it’s about ensuring parents are informed and their voices respected.

So what does the American Citizen Initiative actually do in this space?

We inform parents about their rights under state and federal law. We provide resources for attending school board meetings, reviewing curriculum, and advocating for changes. We support school choice policies that give families options beyond their assigned district — charter schools, homeschooling, private education — because one size never fits all. And we encourage parents to be active partners with educators, building relationships that keep classrooms accountable and collaborative.

Some say this debate is politicized.

Everything’s politicized if you let it be. At the end of the day, this isn’t about left or right — it’s about who has the final say in a child’s education. We believe that should always be the parents. Our goal is to make sure families have the tools, the confidence, and the legal protections to exercise that responsibility fully.