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Project 2025 - what is it?
"Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise" is a conservative playbook for reforming government and policymaking during the first 180 days of a second Trump administration, commonly referred to as Project 2025. It was written by the Heritage Foundation but with contributions from over 300 experts, oversight from a 54-member advisory board and support from over 100 conservative organizations. It runs to 800 pages, and is a detailed plan of the policies that a Republican administration should seek to enact immediately on taking office, across a broad swathe of policy areas covering all government departments.
Kevin Roberts, the heritage Foundation's president, describes components of the plan. The next conservative president, he says, will focus on “four broad fronts that will decide America’s future”:
- Restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.
- Dismantle the administrative state and return self-governance to the American people.
- Defend our nation’s sovereignty, borders, and bounty against global threats.
- Secure our God-given individual rights to live freely — what our Constitution calls the “Blessings of Liberty.”
Given the importance and prominence of this document in discussions around the future of America under a possible second Trump presidency, over the coming months we will explore some of the key policies that are set out in the document, look at where similar policies have been tried by the states previously, and attempt to assess their effect.
We have contributed some of these articles to a wider examination of Project 2025 by Fulcrum: "a platform where insiders and outsiders to politics are informed, meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives." Sign up to the Fulcrum newsletter to get articles delivered directly to your inbox.
Project 2025 Initiative: Passing a Federal Parents' Bill of Rights
Project 2025 outlines a federal Parents' Bill of Rights, cementing parental rights as a “top-tier” right. Their aim is to pass legislation to ensure families have a "fair hearing in court when the federal government enforces policies that undermine their rights to raise, educate, and care for their children". Further, “the law would require the government to satisfy “strict scrutiny”—the highest standard of judicial review—when the government infringes parental rights.”
What States have Passed Parental Bill of Rights?
Parental Bill of Rights generally outline specific rights for parents regarding their control and influence over their children’s upbringing, primarily in the context of education. Originating with Arizona’s House Bill 2732 in 2010, parental rights concerning children's education, upbringing, and health care were defined. Arizona's law specifically includes a parent's right to direct their child's education, access school records, and be informed about the curriculum.
Utah passed a bill about "Parental Rights in Public Education" in 2014, specifying certain rights of a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in a public school. Florida’s 2021 “Parental Rights in Education” law, gave parents control over their child's education, healthcare decisions, and moral upbringing, including provisions for greater transparency in educational materials and school policies.
Texas enacted two bills in 2023: first, to allow parents to access and review instructional materials, second, prohibiting public school systems from possessing, acquiring and purchasing “harmful library material that is sexually explicit, pervasively vulgar, or educationally unsuitable.”
Many other states have proposed and enacted similar bills over the last decade.
What is the current situation around the Parental Bill of Rights?
States have continued introducing similar legislation aimed at increasing parental involvement, transparency, and accountability. There is a growing movement for parents to have more control over and insight into their children's education. Proponents believe greater parental involvement can lead to better educational outcomes. Most laws proposed by states purport to center around increasing transparency in educational systems, ensuring parents are informed about what their children are being taught, how schools are run, and how decisions are made.
These legislative efforts are often a response to our broader social and political movements, driving for increased parental involvement and oversight in schools. For instance, conservative groups have been particularly vocal about lessons around Critical Race Theory and gender education, pushing for more parental control to adjust school curricula to align with their personal views and values.
What are the drawbacks to this movement?
Excessive interference in curriculum can undermine the expertise of educators and educational institutions, resulting in a fragmented educational experience for students, especially if parents with diverse views impose conflicting demands on schools. Schools will face increased administrative burdens to comply with the proposed transparency, finding a middle ground, and fulfilling reporting requirements. This diverts time and resources away from direct educational activities, impacting overall school function.
Further, there is an argument that this type of legislation can lead to censorship of educational materials, particularly those related to controversial or sensitive topics such as sex education, race, and gender identity. This can limit students' exposure to diverse perspectives and critical thinking opportunities. Finally, allowing parents to opt their children out of certain lessons or activities can lead to inconsistencies in educational standards and experiences, affecting the overall quality and cohesiveness of student's education.
Is Project 2025 right to seek to federally codify a Parental Bill of Rights?
The focus on parental rights could prioritize voices of more vocal or organized groups, potentially neglecting the needs and rights of minority or marginalized students and families. The federal legislation will likely result in increased legal disputes between parents and schools, which are costly and time-consuming, draining already limited school resources. Also, the implementation of these laws can exacerbate social and political divisions, particularly in communities with diverse views, leading to conflicts between parents, educators, and school boards, creating a contentious educational environment.
Balancing parental rights with the needs and expertise of educators is crucial to address these concerns effectively. While Project 2025’s initiative reflects a growing trend across the United States to formalize and expand parental rights in the context of education and child welfare, careful consideration is needed to ensure these rights do not hinder the educational process and overall student welfare.
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