IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 219 
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 edu-
cation in a manner that builds partnerships and trust between parents 
and educators, and protecting the civil rights of students and families. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2023 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. STE-
VENS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ADAMS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. SEWELL, 
Mrs. HAYES, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. OCASIO- 
CORTEZ, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. DESAULNIER, 
Ms. LEE of California, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. BUSH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 
CHU, Mr. BOWMAN, Ms. JACOBS, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. CROCK-
ETT, Ms. PRESSLEY, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. TOKUDA, and Ms. BROWN) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
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. 
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•HRES 219 IH 
Whereas public elementary and secondary education serves a 
crucial public good funded through local, State, and Fed-
eral funds that should be administered in a way that pro-
vides a free, quality education for everyone; 
Whereas the investment of sufficient resources is necessary to 
high-functioning, responsive public elementary and sec-
ondary schools; 
Whereas public elementary and secondary education has been 
a cornerstone of democracy since its inception and pro-
vides opportunities for social mobility and economic em-
powerment 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 benefit-
ting performance in other subjects; 
Whereas a well-rounded education provides all students with 
the skills and knowledge they need to contribute to the 
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•HRES 219 IH 
building of a multiracial, multiethnic, diverse, and inclu-
sive democracy; 
Whereas the opportunity to learn about people with a dis-
ability, inclusion of people with disabilities, and the diver-
sity of disability communities across race, ethnicity, reli-
gion, 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 dif-
ficult and encouraging parts of its history, and its poten-
tial to serve as a model for the world; 
Whereas a complete and historically accurate education af-
firms and validates diversity and imparts honesty, integ-
rity, 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 ma-
terials; 
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, in-
clusive definition of a parent that accounts for students 
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•HRES 219 IH 
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 learn-
ing is best supported by the full involvement of families 
in education; 
Whereas all parents want and deserve the best for their chil-
dren, 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 re-
lation to State-set academic and school climate stand-
ards; 
Whereas 
racially, 
culturally, 
linguistically, 
and 
socioeconomically diverse parents should be given the op-
portunity to become meaningfully involved in a school 
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•HRES 219 IH 
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 minor-
ity, 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 bar-
riers to parental involvement; 
Whereas parents and other community members with per-
spectives about the direction and leadership of an elected 
or appointed Board of a school district are encouraged to 
peacefully and nonviolently exercise their First Amend-
ment 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; 
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•HRES 219 IH 
Whereas discrimination against any student or their family 
under any circumstance undermines the learning environ-
ment for all students and damages trust between stu-
dents 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 peo-
ple 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 mem-
bers 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 sec-
ondary students benefit from educators with diverse 
backgrounds; 
Whereas research has shown that all elementary and sec-
ondary students benefit from educators who are ade-
quately prepared, supported by school leaders, and fairly 
compensated; 
Whereas all students benefit from educators who are cul-
turally competent and well-trained on diversity, equity, 
and inclusion principles; 
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•HRES 219 IH 
Whereas access to a diversity of educators and age-appro-
priate reading materials, including those that feature 
people with whom they have differences and share simi-
larities, is critical to learning about the world and devel-
oping a sense of belonging and social responsibility; 
Whereas educators who have access to support for their men-
tal 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 gen-
der identity limit their ability to meet students’ edu-
cational needs and teach to State academic standards, 
while also negatively affecting educators’ working condi-
tions and students’ learning conditions; and 
Whereas threats against or attacks on educators and school 
personnel are harmful to those being threatened or at-
tacked, their families, and the school community: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, 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 par-
ents in education, and the collaboration between par-
ents, educators, school leaders, and community 
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