Senator Teresa Manzella, SD44, hamilton
Proper parenting is the most important job in the world. There is nothing. I admire parents who strive to raise their children to be morally upright, responsible and contributing members of society. Thank you for your tireless efforts. It has never been an easy task, but as the culture wars intensify and our society slides down the slippery slope of eliminating absolute truth and, with it, the bright line separating right from wrong. , the task is becoming quite difficult.
During the 2021 session, we sponsored SB 400, which would restrict government agencies from interfering with the fundamental rights of parents to guide their children's discipline, education, medical care, and mental health. The bill, now MCA 40-6-701, also removes immunity protections from government agencies and allows Montana parents to sue and recover costs if they win if they believe their fundamental rights have been violated. This is to make it possible to do so. Breaking immune protection is a huge deal.
In a recent session, I sponsored the Parental Rights in Education Act – SB518. By directing school board trustees to develop policies to improve parent-teacher collaboration on homework, attendance, and discipline, and to provide parents with information on how to participate in the governance of their school districts, the law would: Parents' involvement in education is encouraged.
Schools will now need to develop procedures to ensure parents are aware of the curriculum and all extracurricular activities their children will be participating in. The following are the steps a parent can take to expel or exempt a child from classes or instruction that go against the parent's belief system. Now the law is no different.
Additionally, if your child wants to use pronouns that do not match their biological gender at school, they will need your written permission. The law also protects teachers' rights of conscience by protecting them from being forced to use pronouns that do not match a child's biological sex. The issue was decided in multiple courts across the county. You can pretend if you want to, but you can't force others to pretend. Also, if you are a minor, you will need your parent's permission.
The new law does not make nicknames illegal, as has been rumored. All but one member of the Ravalli County Council voted in favor of the good custody bill. And that player was my SD44 opponent.
We encourage all citizens to check the Office of Public Instruction's website at opi.mt.gov. Superintendent Arntzen supports parents as their child's first teacher and has created a very comprehensive website for you to view. Under the tab labeled “ESSR (Every Student Succeeds)” [federal] Act) Report cards show that Montana K-12 students earn an average math proficiency rating of 21%, reading proficiency rating of 29%, and science proficiency rating of 24%. You can see. The state invests more than $13,000 per student. You can easily find report cards for a particular school.
Given these results, we need to set aside identity politics…critical race theory…social emotional learning…and the promotion of gender dysphoria, and focus instead on literacy, numeracy, and historical truth. It seems clear that there is.
