PITT COUNTY, N.C. – Members of the Pitt County Board of Education remained composed during a meeting on Monday night, as they awaited input from parents regarding a contentious new legal framework.
Session Law 2023-106, commonly referred to as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” is currently being introduced into school districts across the state. This legislation grants parents the legal authority to determine the educational content and materials to which their children will be exposed in the classroom.
“We have faith in our board, and I believe our community trusts us to do the right thing,” stated Don Rhodes, Chairman of the Pitt County Board of Education.
The access afforded to parents in shaping their children’s educational materials and curriculum is one of several aspects that Rhodes highlighted as already being a part of their existing practices. He noted, “We’re already implementing the majority of the provisions outlined in the Parents’ Bill of Rights. We’ve had to fine-tune a few things.”
According to Rhodes, the primary challenge presented by the new state requirements concerns the use of pronouns. For instance, the school board will now require parental consent if a student wishes to be referred to by a name or pronoun different from their legal name.
Rhodes shared a personal example, saying, “My daughter’s name is Eleanore, and we affectionately call her Ellie. Regrettably, we’d need approval to use that name within our school system. It’s an issue that we felt compelled to inform the public about.”
In essence, the Pitt County school board is dedicated to ensuring full compliance, emphasizing that every child in the coastal plain region is of paramount importance.
For those seeking more information about the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” the Pitt County school system offers a dedicated link on its website outlining the legislation.
The school board has until January to revise their policies and anticipates voting on the new requirements during their December meeting.
