Parents’ Bill of Rights? ‘What a Waste,’ Say Residents

Several speakers during the community participation segment of the Warren County School Board’s Wednesday, March 6 meeting questioned the board’s efforts around drafting a Parents’ Bill of Rights. 

Front Royal resident Sarah Downs (above at podium) speaks about her concerns during the Warren County School Board’s meeting on Wednesday, March 6, during the community participation segment.

The first draft was released last month during a previous School Board meeting by Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Superintendent Christopher Ballenger. The document covers parents’ rights in five areas: academic instruction, communication, privacy, safety, and school budget/spending.   

Erin Kennedy, a parent and Happy Creek District resident; Kelsey Lawrence, a Fork District resident; Warren County residents Sarah Downs and Jackie Masella; Shenandoah District resident Amber Mabie; and Angie Robinson of the North River District each think that the development of a Parents’ Bill of Rights is a waste of the School Board’s time.

“Last evening, I combed through the WCPS-required annual notifications and Student Code of Conduct document and found that almost everything in the proposed bill already exists and is delineated in the code of conduct, which all families receive every start of the school year,” Kennedy said. “It’s not the best use of the board’s time, especially considering that the VDOE [Virginia Department of Education] has announced that four Warren County schools have been federally identified as being in need of academic support.”

Lawrence said the proposal, while well-informed or well-intentioned on the surface, “is not only a waste of time but also completely unnecessary.”

“As parents, we already possess a multitude of rights when it comes to our children’s education and well-being. These rights are enshrined in our laws and regulations,” she said. “The idea that we need to codify them into a formal document is redundant at best. It’s like trying to reinvent the wheel while ignoring the perfectly good tires we already have. And let’s be honest: we can’t afford tires or a spare even.”

Downs agreed there are larger issues that should be addressed by the board.

“I lay awake and think about all our children and the kind of place they live in. I think about the county they live in that has people who struggle with substance abuse and poverty, and the schools they attend that lack basic necessities… and then I think about the children,” said Downs. “And meanwhile, I see our school board is unfocused, unfocused on infighting, and more concerned with the superintendent. Most importantly, this board should be working as a team to create safer schools and safer environments.”

Downs also called on board members to set aside “personal vendettas” and to end “the blame game” so that they can work as a team to improve safety, which in turn will improve school environments, teacher performance, and student attendance.

Robinson made similar comments, noting that the board should be more concerned about issues such as low-performing schools and student discipline issues. “We have four schools not meeting the requirements under the [federal law] Every Student Succeeds Act,” she said. “We need to focus our attention on this, not a bill of rights that are already in place by laws put forth by our government.”

At the same time, Masella pointed out that the bill of rights is “completely counterproductive to the non-discrimination policy” for WCPS, as well.

“This bill of rights focuses on what pronoun a kid uses when we should be worried about accreditation, physical assaults, and bullying,” said Masella. “Our schools are at risk and you’re worried about pronouns.”

“While a Parents’ Bill of Rights may sound appealing on the surface, let’s not be fooled,” said Mabie (above at podium), who has four children attending WCPS. “Each of these rights purportedly protected by this document are already insured within the Constitution of the United States. They are god-given civil liberties and rights. “This bill is nothing more than an offensive attempt to placate parents while ignoring the real issues at hand.

“You are putting lipstick on a pig,” Mabie said. “So, it may look better, but it does not change the fact that it’s still a pig. What we truly need is meaningful action to fix the broken policies and systems within our school system.”

In her opinion, WCPS should be prioritizing the well-being of children and ensuring that they have access to the support and resources they need. “This means investing in mental health services, providing adequate resources for special education classrooms, paying teachers appropriately, and addressing systemic issues,” added Mabie.

Along with other residents, Mabie called on the elected members of the School Board to work collaboratively for the betterment of the community and its children. 

“Self-centered agendas and outright disrespect towards fellow board members have no place in our schools nor our community,” she said. “In conclusion, it’s time to get something done.”

During his report to the School Board, Superintendent Ballenger (above) addressed some of these concerns, saying that WCPS is working to improve policies related to safety and bullying, for instance, and has increased additional partnerships with some community resources to help support students’ needs. 

There is ongoing “diligent work that teachers and administrators are doing on a daily basis,” said Ballenger. 

“I do welcome the opportunity to visit with you as you would like,” he added. “If you’d want to set up a meeting and come in and have a conversation with me, I’d be more than happy to visit with parents who would like to do that.”

Several board members also said during their reports that the draft bill of rights is an ongoing process they plan to continue working on.

To watch the meeting in its entirety, go to: https://wcps.new.swagit.com/videos/299255