SW News: Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed four bills into law to empower parents during the 88th Regular Legislative Session at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday. Abbott tweeted that schools are for education, not indoctrination, and said parents deserve access to curriculum, school libraries, and what their children are taught.

The transformative package of four parent empowerment bills will offer parents access to course material and let parents decide if their child should repeat a grade level. It will also allow parents to take inappropriate books out of school libraries, and support students with special needs.

House Bill 900 prohibits the possession, acquisition, and purchase of harmful library material that is sexually explicit, pervasively vulgar, or educationally unsuitable. House Bill 1605 allows parents to access and review instructional materials and requires districts to provide teachers with a full sequence of instructional materials.

House Bill 1926 removes the $30 million cap on the Supplemental Special Education Services program each fiscal. This bill expands access to more students who need these critical services. On the other hand, House Bill 3803 allows parents to determine if their child should repeat a grade level for 4th through 8th grades or a high school level course.

“The House and Senate did a great job to provide transformative changes for education in the state of Texas. The new law allows parents more rights in the education of their children. It would transform the school curriculum, improving it for Texas parents, students, and teachers. Parents of students with special needs will be empowered with the tools and resources they need to provide their children with the best education. Instead of school administrators, parents will have the option to determine whether it’s in the child’s best interest to repeat a grade level. Additionally, parents deserve to know what books are in school libraries. I'm signing a law that gets inappropriate or vulgar materials out of our schools,” the governor said.

Senator Brandon Creighton; Representatives Charles Cunningham, Lacey Hull, and Jared Patterson; Texas Public Policy Foundation CEO Greg Sindelar and Campaign Director Mandy Drogin; parents; and other parent empowerment advocates joined the governor at the bill signing ceremony.