Educators Oppose Parents’ Bill Of Rights Act

As lifelong educators, we are strongly opposed to the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act of 2022, which is now being considered in the Missouri Legislature. The first part of the bill is indeed a list of parental rights, ones that parents already have by law (and is therefore pointless). The second half of the bill is a deliberate attempt to tell teachers and school districts what they can and cannot teach about U.S. history. It bans the use of specific resources and specific words, and basically says that teachers may not tell the truth about our history, but instead must promote the myth we have been taught for years —that we have made no mistakes, done no wrong and have nothing to learn from.

Censorship like this can only harm our kids. They need the facts in order to become clear thinkers, understand their country and figure out the roles they want to play in helping it become still better. Censorship like this, along with the threat of legal action that is also included in the bill, can only instill fear in our teachers, to the point of driving them out of the profession, or at least away from Missouri. Teachers already endure many job stresses for low pay.

It’s beyond foolish to make teaching more difficult and less attractive, and to make the problem of finding and retaining good teachers much worse. It is also beyond foolish to keep our kids in a bubble of ignorance. Those are bound to be some of the effects of this bill if it passes.

Bill & Margaret Rowe Shrewsbury