1     
JOINT RESOLUTION ON PARENTAL RIGHTS REGARDING

2     
THE EDUCATION OF THEIR CHILDREN

3     
2015 GENERAL SESSION

4     
STATE OF UTAH

5     
Chief Sponsor: Jacob L. Anderegg

6     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

7     

8     LONG TITLE
9     General Description:
10          This joint resolution of the Legislature asserts parents' rights to direct their children's
11     education.
12     Highlighted Provisions:
13          This resolution:
14          ▸     asserts that children are the parents' responsibility;
15          ▸     asserts that parents are the sole stewards of their children's education and do not
16     forfeit that responsibility to other stakeholders; and
17          ▸     calls upon state and local leaders to uphold the rights of parents and families to
18     restore America's traditional purpose for education so that children will be
19     empowered to follow their individual dreams and fulfill their life missions.
20     Special Clauses:
21          None
22     

23     Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24          WHEREAS, parents have the fundamental right to direct their children's educations;
25          WHEREAS, parents have the fundamental right to contribute to the education standards
26     set for their children;
27          WHEREAS, parents have the fundamental right to see their children's curriculum;

28          WHEREAS, parents have the fundamental right to see their children's test questions;
29          WHEREAS, parents have the fundamental right to protect their children's and family's
30     privacy;
31          WHEREAS, parents have a liberty interest in protecting their great, local teachers;
32          WHEREAS, parents have a fundamental right to control their children's school
33     attendance;
34          WHEREAS, parents have the fundamental right to:
35          (1) refuse tests for their children that the parents cannot review;
36          (2) refuse that their children's educations be tied to standards, appendices, and curricula
37     frameworks that are not locally controlled;
38          (3) refuse that their children participate in any school assignment or test that opens the
39     door to federal and third party data collection without parental consent;
40          (4) protect their great teachers against accountability measures that threaten such
41     teachers' financial livelihood and eliminate such teachers' ability to teach children as they are
42     inspired to do;
43          (5) refuse compulsory preschool and adherence to mandatory attendance rules that
44     undermine family time and family bonds; and
45          WHEREAS, the family is the fundamental unit of our society:
46          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that children are the parents' responsibility,
47     and it is the parents' right to protect their children from those forces that would realign the
48     children's educations to serve the needs of the state.
49          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that parents are the sole stewards of their children's
50     education and do not forfeit that stewardship to "stakeholders" who increasingly control federal
51     and state education policy.
52          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature calls upon state and local leaders to
53     uphold the rights of parents and families by restoring America's traditional purpose for
54     education so that children will be empowered to follow their individual dreams and fulfill their
55     life missions.
56          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the
57     members of Utah's congressional delegation, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and
58     the president of the Senate of every state legislature in the United States.







Legislative Review Note
     as of 2-10-15 2:54 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel