Expressing support for developing supportive, inclusive, safe, and responsive public schools that provide all students with a well-rounded education and prepare all students for success in life and for the exercise of their social and economic rights, fostering parental involvement in education in a manner that builds partnerships and trust between parents and educators, and protecting the civil rights of students and families.

Whereas public elementary and secondary education serves a crucial public good funded through local, State, and Federal funds that should be administered in a way that provides a free, quality education for everyone; Whereas the investment of sufficient resources is necessary to high-functioning, responsive public elementary and secondary schools; Whereas public elementary and secondary education has been a cornerstone of democracy since its inception and provides opportunities for social mobility and economic empowerment for all students; Whereas all students benefit from opportunities to learn in diverse, well-funded elementary and secondary schools alongside peers who have had different life experiences, speak a different language, practice a different religion, celebrate different traditions, have a disability, or live in a family different from their own; Whereas all students benefit from an education that helps them develop digital, scientific, mathematical, civic, and other forms of literacy and develop creative skills, and all students benefit when they gain the skills and knowledge that will enable them to make good decisions, treat others with respect, and contribute positively to their community and the Nation; Whereas all elementary and secondary students benefit from the opportunity to receive a comprehensive, well-rounded education that includes the arts and humanities, which provide their own educational benefit while also benefitting performance in other subjects; Whereas a well-rounded education provides all students with the skills and knowledge they need to contribute to the building of a multiracial, multiethnic, diverse, and inclusive democracy; Whereas the opportunity to learn about people with a disability, inclusion of people with disabilities, and the diversity of disability communities across race, ethnicity, religion, and other identities supports education and well-being for young people with disabilities and all young people; Whereas all students benefit from the opportunity to receive an elementary and secondary education that encourages them to understand the history of the Nation, the difficult and encouraging parts of its history, and its potential to serve as a model for the world; Whereas a complete and historically accurate education affirms and validates diversity and imparts honesty, integrity, and courage in students to advance the unfinished work of achieving racial and gender equality; Whereas all elementary and secondary students benefit from the opportunity to see themselves reflected in educational materials, including in books, lesson plans, and other materials; Whereas all elementary and secondary students benefit from attending a school with an adequate number of school psychologists, counselors, or social workers to support their mental health and well-being and provide support during crisis; Whereas a well-educated populace and equal access to high-quality public elementary and secondary schools are vital to the functioning of a representative democracy; Whereas local, State, and Federal policies include a broad, inclusive definition of a parent that accounts for students living with another individual or family member serving as their guardian or caregiver; Whereas public elementary and secondary schools have been immeasurably enriched by the advocacy and involvement of parents and community members, and student learning is best supported by the full involvement of families in education; Whereas all parents want and deserve the best for their children, including safe, affirming, inclusive, and supportive learning environments where parents are treated with dignity and provided opportunities to engage with and contribute to their child’s school community; Whereas parents are eager to partner with their children’s educators in collaborative, productive, and meaningful ways; Whereas providing parents with the opportunity to work in partnership with educators and school leaders toward the improvement of teaching, learning, and school leadership is an important part of building and sustaining excellent schools; Whereas parents with access to information in a language and format they understand are better able to contribute to the school community and support the success of all children; Whereas parents benefit from access to information about how students in their child’s school are performing in relation to State-set academic and school climate standards; Whereas racially, culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse parents should be given the opportunity to become meaningfully involved in a school community and develop close and lasting connections with educators and school leaders; Whereas parent involvement is complementary and essential to, not separate from, the work of educators, support staff members, and school leaders; Whereas over the years some students and their families have been excluded from public elementary and secondary schools on the basis of their actual or perceived race or ethnicity, the languages they speak, whether they have a disability, actual or perceived LGBTQI+ identity, if they are pregnant or parenting, if they are a religious minority, or where their family comes from; Whereas hostile school environments that discourage families with LGBTQI+ members, multilingual families, families where parents or children have disabilities, or others from joining in the school environment create additional barriers to parental involvement; Whereas parents and other community members with perspectives about the direction and leadership of an elected or appointed Board of a school district are encouraged to peacefully and nonviolently exercise their First Amendment rights to voice those concerns during public Board meetings; Whereas all people in the school community benefit from being treated with respect and dignity, including by the use of their own pronouns and name; Whereas all elementary and secondary students benefit from the opportunity to participate fully and as their whole selves in extracurricular activities where they can learn about teamwork, persistence, and competition; Whereas discrimination against any student or their family under any circumstance undermines the learning environment for all students and damages trust between students and educators, educators and families, and schools and the communities in which they are located; Whereas age-appropriateness is one important consideration in developing classroom materials and providing access to reading materials and should support, not undermine, the opportunity of students to learn about and celebrate people who are similar to and different from them and their families; Whereas censorship and denying students access to books by and about people who are Black, Indigenous, or other people of color, LGBTQI+, religious minorities, or members of other marginalized groups, or who are living at the intersection of these and other identities, undermine the education of all students, take choices away from all students and their families, and limit the opportunities of parents, families, and children to access an education and think critically about the world around them; Whereas research has shown that all elementary and secondary students benefit from educators with diverse backgrounds; Whereas research has shown that all elementary and secondary students benefit from educators who are adequately prepared, supported by school leaders, and fairly compensated; Whereas all students benefit from educators who are culturally competent and well-trained on diversity, equity, and inclusion principles; Whereas access to a diversity of educators and age-appropriate reading materials, including those that feature people with whom they have differences and share similarities, is critical to learning about the world and developing a sense of belonging and social responsibility; Whereas educators who have access to support for their mental and emotional health better support their students’ academic achievement and foster more positive classroom environments; Whereas limitations placed on how educators can address topics related to race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity limit their ability to meet students’ educational needs and teach to State academic standards, while also negatively affecting educators’ working conditions and students’ learning conditions; and Whereas threats against or attacks on educators and school personnel are harmful to those being threatened or attacked, their families, and the school community: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) recognizes the importance of sufficiently supporting public elementary and secondary schools so they can provide all students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for success in life and provides social mobility and economic empowerment; (2) celebrates and encourages the engagement of elementary and secondary students and their parents in education, and the collaboration between parents, educators, school leaders, and community members with the goal of supporting student learning, growth, and development; (3) urges the adoption of educational materials by elementary and secondary schools that are historically accurate, reflect the powerful diversity of the Nation, and prepare students to think critically and participate actively in a multiracial and multiethnic democracy; and (4) promotes the implementation of practices that reduce disparities, eliminate discrimination, and make elementary and secondary schools safer, more inclusive, and more supportive for all students.

Summary: This resolution recognizes the importance of sufficiently supporting public elementary and secondary schools to provide all students with a well-rounded education. Additionally, the resolution promotes the implementation of practices that reduce disparities, eliminate discrimination, and make schools safer, inclusive, and supportive for all students.