Miami Student

Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: Editorials

The United States District Court for the District ofMassachusetts recently issued a ruling in the case of Parker v. Hurley which posits that public schools are at liberty to teach "anything that is reasonably related to the goals of preparing students to become engaged and productive citizens." The case involved teaching kindergarteners stories about homosexual couples as part of diversity awareness curriculum. The ruling denied parents the right to restrict their children's access to curriculum taught in public schools. However, this editorial board contends that primary, public education should be a collaborative effort that takes into account state and local curriculum guidelines, but also allows parents to weigh in on their young children's introduction to sensitive or controversial topics.

The stories taught to the children were part of a curriculum designed to promote diversity awareness, based upon principles articulated by the Massachusetts Department of Education. However, Judge Mark Wolfe's 42-page ruling makes it clear that his decision was not related to subject matter, so much as it was to the right of public schools to set their own curriculum. And yet, subject matter and curriculum are intrinsically intertwined. It seems ridiculous that under a legal rubric such as this, parents have no say of how their kindergarteners are introduced to issues of sexuality. Thus, the decision effectively disengages parents from elementary curriculum while impinging upon their ability to influence their children's education.

There is admittedly a fine line which must be walked between respecting the personal beliefs of parents and maintaining the integrity of elementary school curriculum. Unfortunately, this ruling goes too far in severing the ties between parents and education. In an ideal world, the district court's ruling would help ensure that students receive a balanced education promoting tolerance of different views, however this is unlikely to be the case. Rather, curriculum will always contain an inherent bias, as determined by state guidelines, local boards of education and teachers' personal views. Parents' involvement in curriculum choices counteracts this bias. By denying parents a voice in deciding curriculum, the ruling will in actuality discourage parents from being "engaged and active citizens."

At its heart, Parker v. Hurley is a case which considers the fundamental issues of who should determine public school curriculum, and what rights and responsibilities parents maintain, despite placing most of their children's formal education in the hands of the state. Ultimately, elementary education is the responsibility of both parents and the state, and it is both excessive and shortsighted to broadly exclude parents from the process.

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