A new report says parent activism in schools is on the rise, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. What does parent activism look like? Parents have traditionally been involved in their kids' schools through organizations like the PTA, which may call to mind bake sales. Activist parent organizations have played a role in politics, including encouraging parents to run for local school boards and lobbying state lawmakers to support specific legislation. For example, Utah Parents United has encouraged parents to run for the Utah State Board of Education, and local affiliates have demanded that school districts remove objectionable books from school libraries. What has happened in Utah? The report listed three bills introduced during the Utah Legislature general session. None of them passed. HB234, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, would have required all Utah public school teachers to post all learning materials and syllabi for each day of instruction. SB114, sponsored by Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, "simply opens a door by which parents and school boards can work together in the adoption of district wide curriculum," Fillmore said. HB366, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Stratton, R-Orem, was also a transparency measure. Read more to learn how some activist parent groups are in direct opposition to each other. More in Politics Opinion: Is this a solution to Utah’s housing crunch? (Deseret News) Utah governor signs mental health, criminal justice reform bills Tuesday (KSL.com) Utah GOP chairman suggests Gov. Spencer Cox’s ‘woke ideology’ is causing ‘buyers remorse’ among Republicans (The Salt Lake Tribune 🔒) Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declares Tuesday as 'One Kind Act a Day' day (KSL.com) |