In many districts across the country, school boards continue to navigate controversial policies regarding bathroom access and overnight field trips.
Critics argue that many administrators are keeping parents in the dark under the guise of student privacy.
Nicole Neily, president and founder of Defending Education, talked about this on the “Washington Watch” program, saying that lack of communication is leaving families blindsided.
“Schools hide behind student privacy to not give parents complete information for them to make their own decisions about their own child,” Neily stated.
While some administrators have altered policies following recent court rulings, Neily said others are pushing ahead unchanged.
She urged parents to take a hands-on approach and actively question what is happening inside their local school buildings.
“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. It is deeply important for parents to know and ask questions so that they have absolute clarity,” Neily said. “Because, unfortunately, school administrators do not have our children's best interests at heart.”
Beyond facilities and field trip assignments, advocates argue that public schools need a fundamental reset — focusing less on social issues and more on core academic performance — following years of post-pandemic learning loss.
“As a mother of an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old, I want every minute that my kids are in school to be spent on reading, writing, and arithmetic, not on identity politics," Neily stated.
For parents who face resistance or silence when asking for lesson plans or facility guidelines, Neily said grassroots education groups are stepping in to file public records requests and demand answers on their behalf.
“They're not your kids at all — they are not the governor's kids, they are not the state legislator's kids,” Neily said. “They are my kids. They are your kids. And so, it is really important for parents to have a front seat.”
