TX Observer: “As he gallivants across Texas trying to outdo his Republican challengers ahead of the GOP primary for governor on March 1, incumbent Greg Abbott is touting a solution in search of a problem.
“The parental bill of rights empowers parents to hold their schools accountable; there must be accountability,” Abbott said during a campaign stop in Harlingen Wednesday along his “Celebration of Texas” tour.
The proposed “Parental Bill of Rights,” which the governor added to his campaign platform last month, would amend the state constitution to allow parents to pre-screen curriculum materials and ban “pornographic” material in schools. Teachers found violating the policy would forfeit their public credentials and state licensing, lose their retirement, and be placed on a “do not hire” list by the Texas Education Agency.
This sounds reasonable enough—who wants porn in schools?—until you realize the “pornography” Abbott refers to primarily includes books by women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ authors. In a race to the right during an election year, Abbott and other GOP politicians have stoked a moral panic in the education system, targeting teachers and schools amid an exodus from the profession in the state.
“Established back in 1995, Chapter 26 of the education code already lays out all parental rights and responsibilities,” said Shannon Holmes, executive director of the Association of Texas Professional Educators. The statute, Holmes noted, allows parents access to school curriculum materials, the ability to file complaints, and the option to remove their children from instruction that conflicts with their religious beliefs.
“If parents already have this vast toolbox of rights and responsibilities, what exactly is Governor Abbott after?” Holmes added. “He’s trying to drive a wedge between parents and local schools.””