Tulsa Public Schools Policy 9404: Parents Bill of Rights
PURPOSE: The Board supports the desire and right of parents (and guardians*) to be involved in the district’s education programs. This policy is likewise not intended to be a list of all rights that parents have. Rather, this policy outlines the district’s efforts to educate parents as to their rights and support the involvement of parents in their student’s education as provided in the Oklahoma Parents’ Bill of Rights and Oklahoma State Department of Education (“OSDE”) regulations.
*Throughout this policy, the term “parent” shall include a student’s legal guardian if applicable.
Rights of Parents
Parents have the right to be involved in their minor child’s education, including directing that education. Parents are encouraged to exercise their rights in conjunction with district guidance so as not to inadvertently impede their minor child’s compliance with federal and state-mandated requirements – including requirements related to graduation. Parents also have the right to review school records related to their minor child.
No district or district employee and no Independent Contractor shall encourage, coerce, or attempt to encourage or coerce a minor child to withhold information from the student’s parent.
Pursuant to Oklahoma State Department of Education rules, the district is required to disclose to a student’s parent/guardian any information known to the district or its employees or an Independent Contractor regarding material changes reasonably expected to be important to the parent regarding their student’s health, social, or psychological development, including identity information. Disclosure of this information shall occur within 30 days of learning the information. “Identity information” means information including, but not limited to, any names or pronouns used by a student at school and any social transition or other transition to a gender that differs from the student’s sex. “Sex” means the physical condition of being male or female based on genetics and physiology, as identified on the individual’s original birth certificate.
“Independent Contractor” means an individual, organization, or entity that is engaged by and/or contracted by the district to provide services or instruction, whether directly or indirectly, to students or within the district on a temporary contractual basis and is not an employee of the district.
Parents generally have the right to consent prior to an audio or video recording being made of their minor child. This right does not preempt the district’s right to make recordings (without specific parental approval) related to:
- safety, general order and discipline
- academic or extracurricular activities
- classroom instruction
- security/surveillance of the buildings or grounds
- photo ID cards
Parents have the right to receive prompt notice if their minor child is believed to be the victim of a crime perpetrated by someone other than the parent, unless law enforcement or DHS officials have determined that parental notification would impede the related investigation. These notice provisions do not apply to matters which involve routine misconduct that would typically be addressed through student discipline procedures, in which case parents may still be notified by school personnel as may be appropriate. School personnel will not attempt to encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from parents.
The district offers sexual health education in grades 7-12. Oklahoma law provides that parents who object to their minor child participating in the district’s sexual health education program have the right to “opt out” of such instruction. Parents who wish for their student to be excused from participation must submit a written notice, signed and dated by a parent, to the principal indicating their desire to exercise their right that their child be excused from participation. To facilitate the exercise of the right of any parent to opt their child out of sex education, the district has a form parents may use for this purpose, which is available on the Student and Family Support Services department’s webpage at: https://www.tulsaschools.org/student-and-family-support/health-services/health-information/~board/page-health-and-safety/post/educationalclasses or may be obtained from the child’s school. Pursuant to Oklahoma State Department of Education rules, sex or sexuality education means any class, program, curriculum, instruction, test, survey, questionnaire, course, or other instructional material that relates to sexual behavior, sexual attitudes, or sexuality, including but not limited to gender identity or sexual orientation. A written objection from a parent/guardian may object to sexual health education or any other instruction questioning beliefs or practices in sex, morality, or religion. Students who are not participating in the district’s sexual health education program will be permitted to study in the school library or office during sex education instruction.
If a teacher is going to provide instruction or presentations regarding sexuality in a course apart from formal sex education, the teacher will send written notice home to parents five (5) days in advance of the presentation. Parents who object to their minor child’s participation in such instruction may send a written request to the building principal to have the student excused from the presentation. Any such student will be permitted to study in the school library or office during the presentation.
The district will inform parents about their children’s course of study by disseminating this information in various ways such as during annual enrollment, in student handbooks, and/or on the district’s webpage.
Parents may, within a reasonable time after a request from the parent is received by the district, review learning materials affecting their minor children’s course of study, including supplemental materials, by making a request through the building principal. This includes, but is not limited to, materials used to teach or used in connection with sex education instruction or used for the purpose of discussing sexual behaviors or attitudes, as well as any test, survey, or questionnaire with the same primary purpose. The right of parents to review such materials also includes curriculum, instructional materials, classroom assignments, and lesson plans. Parents who wish to make a request to review such materials should contact the principal of their child’s school.
The district will promote parent participation at the site level with the goal of improving parental involvement in their children’s education and parent and teacher cooperation in areas such as homework, attendance and discipline. This will be accomplished through activities such as parent teacher conferences, back to school/meet the teacher nights, district-sponsored webpages, and/or school newsletters, etc.
Parents may learn about the nature and purpose of clubs and activities which are part of the school curriculum by reviewing student handbooks and the district’s website. The district’s extracurricular clubs and activities are also published in student handbooks, the district’s policy manual, and are available on the district’s website.
Parents have the right to object to their minor child receiving unwanted instruction, including on questions of sex, morality, or religion. Parents who object to a learning material or activity may withdraw their minor child from the class or program in which the material is used. In order to withdraw a student, the parent must submit a written request, signed and dated by a parent, to the building principal. Parents who choose to withdraw their minor child from a required class are responsible for making alternate arrangements for the child to earn credit for the class.
Parents wishing to learn about the following parental rights and responsibilities as provided by state law should refer to the district’s policy manual or consult with their school’s principal or the Academics Office for more information:
- open enrollment rights;
- the right to opt out of assignments pursuant to state law;
- the right to be exempt from immunization pursuant to state law;
- promotion/graduation requirements prescribed state law;
- the right to opt out of instruction on the acquired immune deficiency syndrome pursuant to state law;
- the right to review test results;
- the right to participate in gifted programs according to state law;
- the right to inspect instructional materials used in connection with any research or experimentation program or project pursuant to state law;
- the right to receive a school report card;
- the attendance requirements required by state law;
- the right to be excused from school attendance for religious purposes;
- the right to participate in parent-teacher associations and organizations that are sanctioned by the board of education of a school district;
- the right to review all district policies, including the district’s policies relating to parental involvement; and
- the right to opt out of any data collection instrument at the district level that would capture data for inclusion in the state longitudinal student data system except what is necessary and essential for establishing a student's public-school record.