• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Saturday, June 21, 2025
The Iowa Torch
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion
The Iowa Torch
The Iowa Torch
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion

Miller-Meeks: It’s time to give power back to parents

Mariannette Miller-Meeks: Increasing transparency over what is being taught and implementing school choice mechanisms are essential steps towards empowering parents to have a greater say in their children’s education.

Mariannette Miller-MeeksbyMariannette Miller-Meeks
August 30, 2023
in Opinion
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Miller-Meeks Asks If Feds Are Prepared to Support States, Cities Fight Cyber-Attacks

With students across the country returning to school, we must focus on the priorities that will shape the educational landscape for the year ahead. One of the most important functions of a school is to provide a space for learning, neutral ground where students can explore various subjects and form their own opinions based on evidence and critical thinking.

RELATED POSTS

Feenstra: Lowering the cost of childcare for our families

Grassley: History informs farm policies of today

Hendrickson: Iowa taxpayers win big in 2024

While it is essential to foster civic engagement and political awareness, we’ve recently seen overt attempts to steer students towards particular, and potentially dangerous, political ideologies. 

For many parents, the politicization of our schools became readily apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when students tuned into their classes from home. Parents quickly realized institutional priorities and content that did not align with their family values were overtaking traditional curriculum in the classroom. As frustrations continued to mount, parents were silenced and, in some cases, even arrested for attending school board meetings to express their frustration over COVID lockdowns, potential downplaying of sexual assault allegations by other students and what was being taught to their children in school.  

ADVERTISEMENT

In order to give power back to parents, House Republicans passed H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights, to guarantee parents the right to know what is being taught in schools, review school budgets, spending and increase overall transparency. This legislation recognizes that at the end of the day, parents know their children best and deserve to have the final say in what their children are being taught and the type of educational models that best fit the needs of their children. 

We must remember that education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Every student has unique interests, needs, strengths and learning styles that should be accounted for in order to unlock their full potential. Recognizing the dynamic nature of education, the concept of school choice has gained momentum in several states, including Iowa, and continues to be a priority of mine in Congress. 

School choice empowers parents and students to select educational options that align with their needs and aspirations. It is unfair for students to be left behind if their school is not serving their specific needs. This is especially important for students in low performing schools and those with learning disabilities who often attend schools that are not properly equipped and staffed to accommodate their learning needs. 

School choice fosters competition among different educational models, encouraging institutions to continuously innovate and improve. This competition can lead to higher quality education and greater responsiveness to the needs of students and communities. School choice realizes that a student’s zip code should not determine which school they attend. It lets parents decide whether their child should attend a traditional public, public charter, magnet, private, online or home school.

Increasing transparency over what is being taught and implementing school choice mechanisms are essential steps towards empowering parents to have a greater say in their children’s education. This will foster a more collaborative approach where parents, educators, administrators and policymakers are able to work together and create an educational landscape that respects individual choices, while upholding high academic standards. 

Tags: 118th CongressMariannette Miller-MeeksSchool ChoiceU.S. House of Representatives
ShareTweetShare
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Reynolds on new COVID restrictions: ‘Not on my watch’

Next Post

Feenstra: Keeping China far away from American farmland

Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Mariannette Miller-Meeks

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, represents Iowa's 1st Congressional District, she was first elected in 2020 and won a second term in 2022.

Related Posts

Opinion

Feenstra: Lowering the cost of childcare for our families

May 2, 2024
Opinion

Grassley: History informs farm policies of today

May 1, 2024
Hinson: Use biofuels to bring down the cost of gas today
Federal Government

EPA issues emergency fuel waiver for E15 sales

April 19, 2024
Opinion

Miller-Meeks: Iowa has become a border state under the Biden Administration

April 19, 2024
Opinion

Feenstra: There’s no such thing as ‘canceling’ student loan debt

April 17, 2024
Opinion

Miller-Meeks: The time for practical energy solutions is now

April 11, 2024
Next Post

Feenstra: Keeping China far away from American farmland

Test results show 'little improvement' by Iowa students in the last year

Recommended Articles

Hinson Describes Crisis at Southern Border

Hinson Calls for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to Resign

October 20, 2021
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa.

Schmitt: Strong Women Leaders Work For Iowa. They Can Work For America Too.

September 13, 2023
New Ad Released to Encourage People to Visit, Live, and Work in Iowa

New Ad Released to Encourage People to Visit, Live, and Work in Iowa

September 9, 2021

Popular Stories

  • Reynolds Appoints Adam Steen to Lead Department of Administrative Services

    Reynolds Appoints Adam Steen to Lead Department of Administrative Services

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Sinclair: Punishment for Success – Biden v Google & Amazon

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Reynolds signs bill enacting flat tax in 2025

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Rozenboom: Reflecting on the First Week of the 2021 Legislative Session

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • A Look at the Iowa 3rd Congressional District Race Heading Into 2022

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
The Iowa Torch

The Iowa Torch​ is a for-profit, news organization that focuses on political news as it relates to Iowans

Categories

  • Current Events
  • Education
  • Federal Government
  • Iowa History
  • Local Government
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • State Government

Newsletter

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • State Government
  • Federal Government
  • Local Government
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Opinion

© 2022 The Iowa Torch, a publication of 4:15 Communications, LLC.