FEATURED REPORT
Parents' Rights
- August 12, 2022Should they have full control over the education of their children?

From Oregon to Florida, parents are asserting what they say is their right to direct the education of their children. The discontent has focused on questions ranging from anti-racism instruction to library book selections and COVID-19 pandemic issues, including school reopenings, whether masks should be worn at school and virtual and remote learning. Often, however, these parents have protested in ways that are angry and aggressive.
What are parental activists' main complaints against local school boards? What tactics have they used to press their complaints?
What specific issues have been particular flash points in recent controversies involving parental rights and school curricula?
1950s–1970s | Court-ordered school desegregation triggers protests by white parents. |
2016–2019 | President Donald Trump endorses local control over school curriculums; new anti-racism classroom materials draw protests. |
2020–Present | The COVID-19 pandemic upends classroom instruction; anti-racism education triggers increased controversy. |
Should parental rights outweigh state prerogatives in determining education policy?
Pro
Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute. |
Con
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Technology, Auburn University. |
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