Talmage 1

Trinity Talmage

Kelsey Vestal

ENG-102

8 December 2024

Parents Getting Involved in the Wrong Way

Parents used to entrust the academic systems to teach, help grow, and nurture our future

generations. This trust was initially built through regulations and required curriculum in school

systems. Yet, parents throughout America are starting not to trust our academic systems. These

parents want more rules, regulations, information, and stricter environments for their children.

However, is this the right path to getting what they want? In Missouri, many parents quickly

blame the teachers and educators for ‘what their child is learning,’ to the point they want to

establish and implement the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” law. A law that would make public schools

and any learning environments in Missouri more public than public should be. By letting parents

gain access to the school's financial and academic data, curricula, training manuals, and allowing

parents to “control their child's likeliness in district materials.” These laws are not what academic

systems need, to feel more tapped by parents. Although many parents think otherwise,

implementing the Parent’s Bill of Rights law in Missouri is not the correct approach to parental

rights in schools. As a society, first tackle what is wrong with the school systems and work to fix

them healthily, look at why targeting educators and school systems is the wrong approach to the

issue of what children are learning, and how parents having more control over their children's

education can impact students negatively. In agreement, there needs to be change to our school

systems, but not by implementing a law in Missouri such as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights.”
 Talmage 2

When approaching the topic of helping our education systems and schools. Why make

new rules and regulations for administrations and staff when government and school officials

should first tackle what is wrong in our school systems? For example, funding should be

increased for better teachers and materials in classrooms. “Resources do matter, and state school

finance reforms that create more adequate and equitable funding can improve student outcomes.”

(Baker) With better funding teachers can reform lesson plans to help kids learn and develop as

they should. School systems could buy new textbooks, provide better materials for hands-on

learning, and have a safer school environment. However, schools still face the issue of budget

cuts and the loss of resources and teachers. “Some districts are telling 10 to 20 of their teachers

they may be losing their jobs, and other larger districts are getting pink slips ready for hundreds

of their teachers and leaders.” (DeWitt) This causes teachers to lead larger classrooms which can

be stressful. Leading to some children not getting the attention and support they need in a

classroom. Upkeep of the school building and cleanliness could decrease. Funding is important

in schools and provides better resources for students. This should be tackled first to help grow

education systems. Showing parents how having better materials for education and better

learning environments will help students have better teachers and resources, and available

extracurriculars to branch out growth and curiosity. Before targeting school systems and

proposing bills to format schools differently and change curriculum when in some districts there

is not enough money to change curriculums.

As important as technology is in our modern education systems, it can also be hurtful to

children's growth and learning. As useful as they can be to write papers, submit assignments, and

find material. Children can also research many other things of their own will. Yes, there are

blockers on these computers, but many students will find bypasses, spreading it to other students.
 Talmage 3

Learning material that could be deemed ‘unfit’ or ‘inappropriate’ for children their age.

Something that parents do not want their child to be surrounded with. “Even for older children

and teens, research has yet to confirm substantial benefits from most computer-related learning

products at school or at home.” (Healy) However, students have so much access to technology in

and out of school to research almost anything they desire. Parents then will blame educators for

what they have “learned” at school. Hence, blaming educators for material taught, when a lot of

these sources could be from the internet. Also, lots of information is passed on from student to

student. Through gossip, simple conversation, etc. students share information they learn with

each other. This could again be information that some parents would not like their children to be

informed about. Rules and stricter environments could be set in place at schools to know the

curriculum and lesson plans. However, this will not prevent children from learning about the

world and what is inevitable to come.

Is there such thing as too much control over children's education? It is common to be

weary, but could we be holding children back from exploring the world by being so strict and

controlling over the material they consume? Like book banning in schools, Jesica Grose has

stated, “I think bans are terrible for many reasons, including because they're frequently about

political fights among adults that spill into children's lives when it's not really about them.” We

hide media from children that can be beneficial to understand. For example, the novel Nineteen

Eighty-Four written by George Orwell in 1948 teaches the reader about a “dystopian vision of

the future where the freedom of the individual is subjugated to the conformity of society.”

(MVCC) Very heavy on political topics and themes, and was banned from school systems in the

United States. This book was banned in 1981 for its “pro-communist” message to its readers.

This could be going against so-called, ‘American values,’ hence its ban. Yet, stripping that
 Talmage 4

material from curious minds and readers is controlling. Not letting children learn about what

interests them. Also, when parents get too involved and controlling in their child's life, children

can get stressed and feel academic pressure. “From an early age, children are highly encouraged

or sometimes even required by parents, guardians, or educators to think ahead and achieve

academic milestones.” (Vallejo) Academic stress can negatively impact student's physical,

mental, and socio-emotional health. Vallejo also states that the students of today are the future of

tomorrow, so necessary steps must be taken to ensure their well-being. And many parents think

that being more involved in their student's academics and controlling towards what they learn is

helping. However, many times it does the opposite. Students can feel trapped and will in turn

find other ways to learn about what they are curious about through peers or the internet.

We should entrust our academic systems to teach, help grow, and nurture our future

generations. Being too strict towards academic systems can be overbearing. Many rules on the

“Parent’s Bill of Rights” are making school systems too personal with parents. This bill would

allow the following available to the public, “the right to access to school and school district

financial information,” “the right to access school district and school building performance

information,” and even “ making available to the public all school curricula at least thirty days

before the beginning of a semester in which the material will be taught.” If this information is

provided to the wrong people, schools could be in more danger. Intrusting our education systems

and first tackling what is wrong with the school systems and working to fix them healthily, how

targeting educators and school systems is the wrong approach to the issue of what children are

learning, and how parents having more control over their children's education can impact

students negatively. We need change to make our education systems better, this is not the
 Talmage 5

approach to doing so. Students are so valuable and important and are what will be our future. So

treating the School systems with care is crucial.

Works Cited

Baker, Bruce and Learning Policy Institute. “How Money Matters for Schools. School Finance

Series.” ERIC, Dec. 2017, eric.ed.gov/?id=ED606469.

DeWitt, Peter. “Why Do so Many Public Schools Constantly Have to Fight for Funding?”

Education Week, 8 Dec. 2020,

www.edweek.org/education/opinion-why-do-so-many-public-schools-constantly-have-to-

fight-for-funding/2020/09.

Education and Workforce Development, and Olivia Shannon. Establishes the “Parents’ Bill of

Rights” to Protect and Promote the Rights of Parents to Participate in and Direct the

Education of Their Child and to Know What Is Being Taught in Their Child’s Public

School. 28 Aug. 2023,

senate.mo.gov/23info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=632942.

“Educational Materials for 1984.” Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC),

lib.morainevalley.edu/public/onebooks/1984/1984-educationmaterials.pdf. Accessed 9

Dec. 2024.

Grose, Jessica. "Book Bans Are About the Illusion of Parental Control." New York Times, 11 Feb.

2022, p. A27(L). Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A692986492/OVIC?u=spri43060&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=88

7347c6.

Healy, Jane M. “Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children’s Minds: For Better or

Worse.” The Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 81, no. 5, 2000, pp. 1–11. JSTOR,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/20439670.
 Talmage 7

Vallejo, Michael. “Academic Pressure: Causes, Effects, and Coping Strategies.” Mental Health

Center Kids, Nov. 2023, mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/academic-pressure.