To say the folks at Let’s Go Washington have been busy is an understatement. The Redmond, WA based group started with an ambitious plan: get five Initiatives on the ballot for 2024 in an attempt to reverse some legislation passed over the last few sessions.
It’s tough to get enough signatures for one initiative let alone five. Let’s Go Washington’s goal was to get a total of 2,520,000 signatures to cover the five Initiatives they planned to run. Earlier we told you about one of their successes attempting to repeal sections of the Climate Commitment Act.
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The most recent Initiative to be submitted (signatures will be turned in today to the Secretary of State’s office in Tumwater) is 2081 which aims to establish a parent’s ‘Bill of Rights’ by adding language to RCW 28A.605.
What Will This ‘Bill of Rights’ Provide Parents?
The aim of I-2081, according to Let’s Go Washington’s description is
This measure would allow parents and guardians of public-school children to review instructional materials and inspect student records, including health and disciplinary records, upon request. It would require public schools to provide parents and guardians with certain notifications, including about medical services given and when students are taken off campus; access to calendars and certain policies; and written notice and opportunities to opt students out of comprehensive sexual-health education and answering certain surveys or assignments
News stories, like this one from the Edmonds School District in Seattle, have raised some parents level of concern about what is being taught to their kids and if they have the ability to opt out of curriculum they don’t feel is right for their child.
The local school boards do have discretion concerning adding controversial pieces to their curriculum, so not all districts are including everything that comes from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
The final step for the initiative is for the submitted signatures to be reviewed. If enough valid signatures survive the review, it will go to the legislature to either be adopted or for the elected body to offer an alternative on the ballot. Voters would then choose between the language in I-2081 or what the legislature puts forward.
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