TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Public Schools Board of Education voted to approve the “Parents Bill of Rights " during its April 7 meeting.
The bill of rights gives parents a slew of rights, to keep up with their child’s education, and to opt-out their children from certain requirements like vaccinations and sexual education.
“Most importantly, our families can see the curriculum online. So if you go to our webpage and click on the health and wellness page, it has a detailed set of information about the courses,” Superintendent Ebony Johnson said.
SOME ASPECTS OF PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS
- The right to opt out of assignments pursuant to state law.
- The right to be exempt from the immunization pursuant to state law.
- The right to inspect instructional materials used in connection with any research or experimentation program or project pursuant to state law
Supt. Johnson also invited parents to review any and all activities and curriculum from TPS. If they have any specific concerns, she said, they should contact district leaders.
“You can up it. And in my opinion it would be upping the ante, in favor of the parents to have them opt in,” instead of opting-out, one speaker to the board said.
The newly elected board members represent some areas in North Tulsa. Before the meeting, 2 News reporter Brodie Myers traveled to North Tulsa, to listen to parents’ thoughts on TPS.
He asked Amy Ackerson, what, in general, she would improve about TPS.
“I would like for the teachers to have more communication, with the parents, as well as the students,” Ackerson said, “Don’t wait until the student is getting in trouble or their grades are almost failing until they reach out to us.”
The board approved the bill of rights, with some reluctance. None of the board members expressed outright support for every last detail.
“However, this is the law. What I really don’t agree with is having our accreditation taken away. I really don’t agree with having Ryan Walters have the opportunity to take over the school district,” Croissant said, “So sometimes we have to do something that maybe stinks, maybe we don’t like every part of it, but we have to do things, sometimes, that we don’t like, but that we have to do to make sure we protect students in our district.”
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