General Assembly poised to take up array of parental rights bills

Virginia Republicans’ push for parental rights, a term used to cover a range of policies from so-called school choice to oversight of public school library books, is poised to spark debates as the General Assembly convenes this week in Richmond.

Starting on Thursday, lawmakers will dig deeper into a slate of education bills that include proposals to create publicly funded education savings accounts that parents could use to send their children to private schools, prohibit school officials from changing the names of students on official forms without a change of name order, and maintain a catalog of all printed and audiovisual materials in each school’s library for parents and students to review.

“We’re all about empowering parents,” said House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, during a pre-session call with reporters. “And I think the last couple of years have shown us that parents are eager to have a greater say in the education of their children and what goes on in their school and what’s being said to them and put in their heads.”

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin campaigned heavily on parental rights during his run for governor in 2020 against former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. The same year saw increased tension between parents and school officials around the state over school reopenings, masking requirements, transgender student policies and controversial books.