BySenators Dozier, Boehnke, Braun, Holy, McCune, Schoesler, Short, Warnick, J. Wilson, and L. Wilson

Prefiled 12/06/22.Read first time 01/09/23.Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

AN ACT Relating to establishing parents' bill of rights related to their child's public education; adding new sections to chapter 28A.605 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.345 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.605 RCW to read as follows:

(1) School districts and public schools must post online the following assessment results:

(a) The reading and mathematics results of the national assessment of educational progress by state and school district if available; and

(b) The English language arts and mathematics results of the smarter balanced assessments or any other statewide student assessment.

(2) The assessment results must be posted on the home page or landing page of each school district and public school website.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "public school" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.605 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Parents and legal guardians with a child receiving a public education have the following rights in addition to any other rights provided by law:

(a) To have access to what their child is being taught in school including, but not limited to, access to classroom and school sponsored activities as described in RCW 28A.605.020, access to curricula and instructional materials used within the curricula, and access to these materials for review either online or through an alternative method;

(b) To have information on who is teaching their child, including guest speakers and presenters who are not employed by the public school;

(c) To have access to the name and organization or affiliation of the individuals and other entities that have curriculum-related contracts with the school district or public school and are receiving public funding and to have access to this information for review online;

(d) To have access to and the ability to participate in regular and special business meetings of school district board of directors in accordance with the open public meetings act, chapter 42.30 RCW, and may include the elements described in section 3 of this act; and

(e) To be communicated with regarding their child based on the parent and legal guardian's preferences, which may be indicated during the registration process.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and public schools must post these rights online.

(3) All the information that must be available online must be posted in a convenient place on each school district and public school website and easy for parents and legal guardians to access and review.

(4) For the purposes of this section, "public school" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.345 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) By September 1, 2023, the Washington state school directors' association must update a model policy and procedure regarding school board of directors meeting conduct, order of business, and quorum.

(i) Provide for increased public observation and participation in board meetings through real-time telephonic, electronic, internet, or other readily available means of remote access to the meeting that does not require an additional cost to access the meeting as described in RCW 42.30.030;

(ii) Require an audio or video recording of, or to provide an online streaming option for, all regular board meetings as described in RCW 42.30.220; and

(iii) Make recordings of board meetings available online for a minimum of six months as described in RCW 42.30.220.

(c) The Washington state school directors' association must maintain the model policy and procedure on its website at no cost to school districts.

(2) School districts are encouraged to amend their policies and procedures to incorporate the elements of the updated model policy and procedure described in subsection (1) of this section.