Parent involvement in school has been a heavily debated topic by many people, but is mainly debated among high school students and their parents. However, there are several people who would like to see parents being more informed about what their students are learning in school. During the Academy School District 20 board meeting on October 20th, several parents voiced concerns about the lack of parent involvement and knowledge.

While talking about parental rights, d20 parent Jackie Lesh stated the following. 

“I want to clear up the misconception that some parents are not supportive of parental rights. We all want parental rights. We all want to know what our child is learning and how we can support them and their teachers,” Lesh stated. 

Lesh continued on the subject later on in the board meeting and where she brought up the following.

“Everyone should be able to choose what is best for their child. Not all children. Not everyone else’s child. Just only theirs,” Lesh stated.

Parental rights are the parent’s rights to make decisions about their child’s education and health care. Parents naturally worry about their kids, especially with things as important as their education. Considering education is something that shapes people’s entire lives, parents are willing to help their children and make sure their child is getting the best education they can.

Moms for Liberty was founded on January 1st of 2021 with their main goal being to advocate against COVID-19 restrictions in schools. However, as the threat of COVID-19 died down, Moms for Liberty began to expand their concerns toward parental rights.

Co-chair of the El Paso County chapter of Moms for Liberty, Kristy Davis, shared her concerns on parental rights.

“Our parental rights and constitutional rights do not end at the school doors.  Our responsibility as parents is to be fully informed, involved and engaged in our kids’ education and environment at schools,” Davis stated.

Despite their name, Moms for Liberty members are not limited to moms. Their members consist of dads, aunts, uncles, and even grandparents. Their mission is to fight for the survival of the United States by unifying and empowering parents to defend their parental rights. 

Lesh voiced her concerns about parental rights and how there should not only be boundaries put in place, but also boundaries that respect everyone else’s rights. 

“Yes I agree that all parents should have parental rights, but those rights should not infringe upon the rights of others,” Lesh stated.

The line between fighting for your rights and infringing the rights of others can get a little blurry when you are fighting for something that you hold close to you. Parents are naturally going to take a very passionate stance when talking about parental rights, but it is a good idea to make sure no one gets their constitutional rights violated.

The battle for parental rights has been long fought. For the past hundreds of years, parents have been fighting for their rights to know about their education. During the latest school board meeting, parents made sure that their voices would not be left unheard. If all goes well for the parents, then they will be at the forefront of their child’s education.