L.I. Congresswoman Introduces Bill To Give Parents, Teachers More Say In Education Policies

Loong Island Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, a Democrat from Garden City, recently introduced new legislation that would create two committees — one made up of public school teachers and another of parents and family members of public school students — to advise the U.S. Secretary of Education and report to Congress about a range of issues related to students, teachers and family engagement in education.

The Teachers and Parents at the Table Act, officially H.R. 3246, would establish a Teachers Advisory Committee made up of public school teachers who have demonstrated policy expertise and represent the full diversity of the teaching workforce, with members from multiple geographic, grade level and specialty areas. The committee would advise the Secretary of Education and report to Congress about their experiences with federal education policies at the local level, as well as a range of other important issues, including testing and assessment policies, the equitable distribution of teachers, the effects of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and other relevant topics.

The legislation would also create a second committee made up of public school parents and family members who have a demonstrated history of parental involvement and family engagement in schools and represent multiple geographic areas and a diversity of students, including economically disadvantaged students, students from major racial and ethnic groups, children with disabilities, English learners and students who are members of an Indian tribe or tribal organization. Consideration would also be given to representation of students' gender identity, migrant status and residence in rural areas. The Parents and Family Members Advisory Committee would advise the Secretary of Education and report to Congress on parental involvement and family engagement in education and offer direction for state and local education authorities to improve family engagement.

"The federal government has important roles to play when it comes to crafting national education policies, but we only do ourselves a disservice if we fail to draw on the input, advice and expertise of the people who implement and see the effects of those policies every day in classrooms and homes across the country," said Rice. "Teachers, parents and family members know better than anyone what our students need to succeed, and creating these committees will give them a seat at the table and give us the benefit of all the knowledge and experience they have to offer."

Rice spoke about the new legislation Wednesday morning at the 2017 National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) Conference in Washington, where she was introduced by Marguerite Izzo, a fifth grade teacher in the Malverne School District who was named New York State Teacher of the Year in 2007 and helped Rice’s office create the new legislation. In addition to NNSTOY, other organizations supporting the bill include National PTA and the National Education Association. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a Republican representing northern New York, is the bill’s Republican co-lead sponsor.

"Our education system works best when teachers and parents are closely involved with the decisions affecting students," Stefanik said. "This commonsense, bipartisan legislation simply gives our teachers and parents a direct channel to the Secretary of Education as important decisions are made. A quality education is a great equalizer in our nation, and I will continue to work in Congress to ensure our future generations have the chance to succeed."

The bill has be introduced to Congress and has to go through many committees before it could come to the floor for a vote. To read the full text of the bill, click here.

Photo: Kathleen Rice's Office