Washington, D.C. — Today, the House passed H.R. 5. Following the vote, Jesse O’Connell, senior vice president of Education at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This bill is an effort by extremists in the House to put politicians in our classrooms, plain and simple. Rather than hiring more teachers, making schools safer, or helping children learn math, science, and reading, they’ve fabricated a culture war that would dangerously restrict teachers’ ability to teach and students’ ability to learn in ways that are more reminiscent of a fascist regime than the American public school system so many of us grew up in.
H.R. 5 is an anti-parent, anti-teacher, anti-student MAGA wish list of extreme policies. It tramples on the civil rights of all students, but most especially students of color and trans students, impeding their ability to learn and grow in supportive educational environments. This bill would also undercut a clear majority of parents who want school policies that foster learning in safe and supportive environments, not censorship or book bans.
A bill that actually put parents over politics would build on existing collaborations between parents and educators. It would raise resources and standards for students, particularly in communities that have historically lacked those investments. A true pro-parent bill would also make clear that censorship of history has no place in our classrooms and schools. But this bill does the opposite. H.R. 5 puts politicians in our classrooms instead of teachers, books, and the pursuit of academic opportunity this country was built on.
For more information or to speak to an expert, contact Julia Cusick at [email protected].