Please forward.

Today, I joined with other parental rights advocates to testify before the Georgia State School Board of Education regarding their proposed Rule 160-5-1-.29 that would require our public schools to notify parents about clubs or extracurricular activities taking place on campus. And, it would give the parent the right to opt-in or opt-out their child if the activity or club was one in which they did not want their child to be involved. This proposed ruling would address all clubs and we believe it is important for the board to pass this rule change to ensure parental oversight and involvement in their children's school activities.

My remarks, on your behalf, to the Board were as follows:

I commend State School Board Superintendent Kathy Cox and members of the Board for holding this hearing today to establish a policy for dealing with clubs and extra-curricular activities on school campuses across our state -- and thank you for giving me these few minutes to speak in support of the action you are proposing to take.

We submit to you the main issue here is one of parental rights. Parents have the right to know what club activities their children are involved in when attending school—and they should have the right to opt-in or opt-out their child from participating. Parents have the right – and schools should encourage them to play a greater – not lesser – role in the education life of their children.

In 1979, The U. S. Supreme Court in Bellotti v. Baird wrote:

“The Court long has recognized that the status of minors under the law is unique in many respects…the unique role in our society of the family, the institution by which we inculcate and pass down many of our most cherished values, moral and cultural, requires that constitutional principles be applied with sensitivity and flexibility to the special needs of parents and children. We have recognized three reason justifying the conclusion that the constitutional rights of children cannot be equated with those of adults: (1) the peculiar vulnerability of children; (2) their inability to make critical decisions in an informed, mature manner; and (3) the importance of the parental role in child rearing.”

In Edwards v. Agullard in 1987, the Court wrote:

“The Court is of the opinion that local school officials and parents are in the best position to determine what subject matter is reasonable and will be allowed on campuses in order to protect the well-being of the students and maintain order and discipline. Families entrust public schools with the education of their children, but condition their trust on the understanding that the school setting will not purposely be used to advance views that may conflict with the private beliefs of the student’s family.”

These are but a couple of examples where the courts have come down on the side of parental rights and control over what activities their children may or may not become involved.

I am asking you today to use the authority invested in you by the government of this state of Georgia to hand down a decision on the issue of school clubs that will advocate for parental rights and that will uphold the parent’s right to guide their child’s destiny according to their own values and beliefs.

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It is my understanding that they committee will vote tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. regarding this proposed rule change. If you haven’t contacted the board member that represents your district, please go to www.doe.k12.ga.us, get their number and make a call. We must not remain silent while the debate goes on regarding the great moral issues of our day. The future and wellbeing of our children is at stake.

Thank you for Keeping The Faith.
Sadie Fields