Governor Kay Ivey recently signed the Parents Right to Know Act, which will give parents a better understanding of what is being taught to their children by requiring teachers to post their curriculum online for them to see.
Alabama State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric G. Mackey weighed in, saying he was able to have input to ensure teachers would not be negatively impacted by the bill.
“It does not take away from a teacher’s ability to make changes on a day to day basis as they need to,” Mackey told WSFA.
“We really need parents to be engaged in the learning process. And I think that was really the impetus behind this is how do we help parents engage in what’s going on in the child’s classroom.”
The bill, which passed in the Senate in early February, also allows parents to be able to examine all supplemental materials and classroom books upon request.
The original sponsor of the bill was State Sen. Greg Reed (R-Jasper), who said that the bill was a priority for him.
“This is a starting place for parents to find out what their child is being taught,” Sen. Reed said…How can we take all the information that is going on in a child’s education and put is on a website for parents and grandparents,” Reed said in February.
Michael Brauner is a Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP