Expressing support for the designation of 2022 as the "Year of the Parents".

Year of the Parents Whereas the right of parents to protect their children and to direct their education and moral development has been repeatedly infringed by the courts, by Federal regulations, and by misguided policy initiatives; Whereas parents have a right to know and have a say in what their children are being taught in the classroom; Whereas the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children is a fundamental right; Whereas each child is an individual with unique educational needs and gifts; Whereas parents are best positioned to know what is in his or her child’s best interest, not the government; Whereas providing a first-rate education for America’s children is one of our greatest responsibilities; Whereas there are countless dedicated teachers and administrators who work hard every day and serve students well; Whereas ensuring all students receive the proper support and access to a quality education requires a partnership between parents, local school boards, and States; Whereas at-home virtual learning puts much additional strain on parents, who are earnestly trying to navigate and balance the competing pressures of their own work and caretaking responsibilities; Whereas lockdowns and mandates as a response to the COVID–19 pandemic have deprived children of the social interaction they so desperately need as they grow; Whereas, due to mandates and attempts at virtual classrooms, students are falling behind academically, especially in low-income and underprivileged communities, and too many children are now experiencing mental health challenges and sustained learning loss; Whereas children are not at great risk for severe illness or death from COVID–19; Whereas across our Nation, divisive and destructive components of Critical Race Theory (CRT) are finding their way into elementary-school-level curricula; and Whereas CRT puts forth the notion that the central feature of society is a power struggle between races: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives expresses the sense that— (1) the House of Representatives supports the designation of the Year of the Parents (2) students, parents, local school boards, States, and the Federal Government should work together to ensure our children receive the best education possible; (3) governing authorities should take into consideration our students’ emotional and mental health, in conjunction with physical health, when developing school health policy guidelines; (4) teachers’ unions should not be directing the health policies and procedures of our schools; (5) those who want to continue wearing a mask or taking other forms of precaution may do so; and (6) no Federal funding should be dispersed to any school, public or private, that promotes Critical Race Theory at any level (elementary, secondary, middle, or high school).

Summary: This resolution supports the designation of the Year of the Parents. The resolution also expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) students, parents, local school boards, states, and the federal government should work together to ensure children receive the best education possible; (2) governing authorities should take into consideration students' emotional, mental, and physical health when developing school health policy guidelines; (3) teachers' unions should not direct health policies for schools; (4) individuals who want to may continue to wear a mask or take other precautions; and (5) no federal funds should be dispersed to any public or private school that promotes critical race theory.