On Jan. 18, 2024, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed Bill 510. This bill is now on its way into the Wisconsin State Senate and is a Declaration of Parental Rights. Bill 510 outlines parents' abilities and rights to determine their children's education and lifestyle. The passing of this bill would make Wisconsin one of nearly twenty states to adopt such a piece of legislation. But what is a declaration of parental rights? And how would it impact schooling in the state of Wisconsin?
The rights of parents are outlined in section three of Bill 510. There are sixteen rights that the State of Wisconsin may not infringe upon and that all parents–except for those who hold legal barriers–are entitled to. Some of these rights include the right of the parent to determine the religion of their child, the right to choose the names and pronouns the child uses while at school, the right to review instructional materials and outlines used in schools, the right to opt a child out of any instructional program concerning "controversial topics" such as race, gender, sex or other forms of orientation and the right to opt children out of surveys that inquire into their mental health, religion, sexuality and other preferences and more.
If an educator were to infringe on any of these rights, a parent could lodge a formal complaint against the school and even pursue a legal route in which they could be compensated up to $10,000 in addition to having their legal fees paid. If this bill were passed, teachers, an already overworked and underpaid group, would be forced to walk on eggshells around these rules; their jobs, ability to teach and reputation would be on the line.
This bill causes an array of concerns, two of them being how this will affect students' mental health and the politicization of knowledge.
The mental health of students is put at risk due to multiple aspects of Bill 510. One apparent issue emerges when schools are prohibited from asking students about their mental state without the permission of the student. Surveys have become key in identifying and handling mental health issues faced by students. If those indicators are taken away or not able to be offered for certain students, it may become more difficult to find and help students who may be struggling.
An even greater threat faces students who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Along with the ability for these outreach resources to be taken away, measures that would allow parents to decide what pronouns and names are used by their child at school can create horrifying psychological damage to this group of students, which has already been so vulnerable to issues of mental health.
The second issue this bill poses is the politicization of knowledge and education. As discussed above, Bill 510 would force schools to notify parents when "controversial topics" are discussed in class and allow parents to pull their children out of these courses. "Controversial Topics" is set to include issues of gender, sexuality and race. Race has become a battleground within education. As we have seen in states all across the country, teachers and schools are under frequent attack over their handling of issues concerning race. Many parents would like to avoid causing "guilt" within their children over the problems of slavery, civil rights and even modern incarceration, and claim that by teaching about race as an ongoing issue that the younger generation needs to be aware of, teachers are causing unwarranted mental stress on their young students.
Allowing parents to choose what history their student learns may only worsen the current understanding of one of the most difficult issues that America continues to face. It could be detrimental not only to individual learners but to society as a whole to avoid this issue simply because it makes members of the older generation uncomfortable learning about the system they continue to benefit from.
Overall, a declaration of parental rights for the state of Wisconsin could allow for the destruction of mental health resources for particular students and detract from the knowledge that a student can gain on some of the most pressing issues.
Assembly Bill 510 is expected to pass through the Wisconsin State Senate, which a conservative majority holds. Once passed, Governor Evers would likely veto it. This, however, would not be the end of the bill. The State Assembly Republicans are only four votes short of being able to overturn the Governor's veto, making this bill a possibility in the not-so-distant future.
Sources: Wisconsin State Legislature and North Carolina Health Center