Parent Bill of Rights
This initiative, known as “The Parents’ Bill of Rights,” seems like a significant piece of legislation at first glance, but the reality is that most of these rights have already been codified in dozens of state and federal laws. Here are just a few examples:
- Your right as a parent to examine textbooks, curriculum, and other materials used in your child’s classroom. Those rights are already protected in state law RCW 28A.320.230 and Federal Law 20 USC § 1232h.
- Your right as a parent to inspect your child’s public-school records. Those rights are already protected in RCW 28A.605.030 and Federal Law 20 USC § 1232g, just to name a few.
- Your right to receive prior notification when medical services are being offered to your child is already protected in now fewer than eight different state statutes.
These are just a few examples, but the list goes on. You already have had the right to view student handbooks including dress codes, see a list of all fees, be notified when your child is removed from school, see the student calendar, opt out of surveys, and be informed of your child’s academic progress.
Like most pieces of legislation that are passed each year, there are a lot of unanswered questions and conflicting legislation, including copyright laws and student’s we encourage you to exercise those. Review the work that your student is doing in school. Review the weekly progress reports that come home and talk with your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns. Follow up on those attendance notices. And, by all means, please consider joining our Instructional Materials Committee as a parent representative and support the heavy lifting that this team does each year to review instructional materials and analyze the impact on student learning through field tests and other research.
Perhaps it takes a reminder of your rights at times to serve as an impetus for action. If that’s the case, then I hope that Initiative 2081 will accomplish just that. We have some of the highest-performing schools in Pierce County, and our parent involvement is already very strong, but we can do even better together. While others around the state bicker over the details and catastrophize the possible impacts of this legislation, we will be using this legislation as an opportunity to remind you of your rights as parents and encourage you to engage with your child’s school as we work together to ensure they are learning at high levels and are prepared for success after high school.
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
FERPA affords parents and eligible students over 18 years of age certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. They are:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the district receives a request for access.
Parents or eligible students should submit to the appropriate school official a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. - The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the White River School District to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the appropriate school official, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.
- If the district decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional Information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.
- The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.
Directory Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that White River School District, with certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your child’s education records. However, White River School District may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the White River School District to the contrary in accordance with White River School District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the White River School District to include information from your child’s education records in certain school publications.