Day 54: Parental rights

State superintendent Debbie Critchfield headed to the Statehouse Monday morning to listen in on a discussion of her parental rights legislation on the House floor.

House Bill 163 asserts that parents are “primary stakeholders” in education. Specifically, the bill would ensure parents have access to education and health records; require parental consent for student well-being surveys; and ensure “reasonable access” for parents to visit a school.

The bill passed the House with a 67-3 vote, and is headed to the Senate.

After the hearing, Critchfield met with Chief Deputy Superintendent Ryan Cantrell, followed by a meeting with State Department of Education staff to discuss pending legislation, and a meeting with State Librarian Stephanie Bailey-White of the Idaho Commission for Libraries.

Later, she met with members of Gov. Brad Little’s staff to prepare for Tuesday’s joint press conference to announce changes to the Empowering Parents grant program.

The superintendent closed out a busy Monday with a meeting with the SDE transportation team.

Sadie Dittenber

Sadie Dittenber

Reporter Sadie Dittenber focuses on K-12 policy and politics. She is a College of Idaho graduate, born and raised in the Treasure Valley. You can follow Sadie on Twitter @sadiedittenber and send her news tips at [email protected].

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