http://www.causeonline.org/Nov01/CNS%20News%2011-7-01.htm
"Sen. Ted Kennedy Holding Up Parental
Rights Amendment"
By John Rossomando,
CNSNews.com Staff Writer, November 07, 2001
(CNSNews.com) - An amendment to the
education bill, aimed at giving parents the right to inspect their child's
educational materials and shield the child from invasive questions and medical
examinations at school, faces a powerful foe - Massachusetts Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy.
Kennedy, who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, is one
of four members of Congress currently trying to hammer out a compromise version
of the education bill that would be acceptable to both the House and Senate.
The parental rights amendment, sponsored by Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.),
originally passed the House of Representatives without objection, but hit a
dead end once Kennedy got involved, according to Tiahrt's press secretary.
Michael Schwartz, the vice president for government relations at Concerned
Women for America, said his organization has been trying to find out exactly
why Kennedy opposes the amendment, but to no avail.
Jim Manley, Kennedy's press secretary, refused to elaborate on the senator's
objections to the Tiahrt amendment, but said, "We are going to work hard
to get language acceptable to both Democrats and Republicans."
The Tiahrt amendment would require that school districts and other educational
institutions provide a means for parents to access their children's curriculum
and other learning materials, such as textbooks.
The legislation would restrict school administrators from forcing students to
divulge their parent's political affiliations or beliefs, potentially
embarrassing psychological problems involving the students or their family
members, and their sexual behaviors or attitudes. Schools would also be
prevented from conducting non-emergency medical examinations without written
parental notification and consent.
"If they don't [follow these requirements], it's possible that they could
lose their federal funding. They also have to get a parent's permission before
they ask the child to complete certain surveys," said Chuck Knapp,
Tiahrt's press secretary.
Tiahrt has repeatedly introduced the legislation in response to several
incidents he observed, in which parents were denied permission to review their
child's instructional materials, according to Knapp.
"It even happened to the Tiahrts. They were trying to get a textbook, and
the school would not allow the child to bring a textbook home," Knapp
said. "The most important part of a child's education is parental
involvement, yet the schools [are] not allowing the parents to get involved, so
this is a mechanism for parents to get more involved in their child's
education.
"It obviously does make sense that parents be allowed to see a child's
curriculum or to prevent them from taking a sex survey, for instance. The
parent ought to have that right," he said. "There really is a
hodgepodge of state laws, and this really would bring some consistency to
that."
The education bill conference leaders say they expect a compromise bill to be
sent to President Bush before the Thanksgiving recess.
CAUSE reprints articles
of interest for our members and others. CAUSE does not necessarily
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Last Updated 11/08/01
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