Parental Oversight and Educational Transparency Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Ms. Hageman, would change federal law to require schools to get written permission from parents before students can participate in specific activities. Currently, schools often just have to notify parents, but this would make 'active consent' the requirement for these events.
• Schools would have to send a direct notice to parents at least 14 days before the activity is scheduled to happen. If a parent does not sign and return the consent form, the student would not be allowed to take part in that specific activity.
• The bill focuses on activities like surveys about private topics (such as religious or political beliefs), non-emergency physical exams, or the collection of student data for marketing purposes. It aims to ensure parents have the final say on these sensitive matters.
• This would apply to local school districts that receive federal funding. It changes the current system from 'opt-out,' where students participate unless a parent objects, to an 'opt-in' system where a parent must proactively give their 'yes' in writing.