Des Moines, IA, USA
On April 15, 2025, a coalition of Republican governors gathered in Des Moines, Iowa, to announce a new initiative aimed at limiting federal government influence in K-12 education. The proposal, named the “Parental Control in Education Act,” seeks to provide states and local communities with more autonomy over their educational systems while giving parents a greater role in determining the curriculum and educational policies affecting their children.
Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa, who hosted the announcement, was joined by Governors Ron DeSantis (FL), Kristi Noem (SD), and Greg Abbott (TX). Together, the governors presented the initiative as part of a broader push to protect children from what they describe as politically charged content in public school curricula, including issues such as Critical Race Theory (CRT), gender identity, and sexual orientation.
“The federal government has overstepped its bounds in education, and it’s time to give parents more control over what their children are learning,” Governor Reynolds said during the press conference. “The ‘Parental Control in Education Act’ is about putting parents back in charge and ensuring that our kids are taught the fundamentals they need to succeed, not political ideologies.”
The proposed law would restrict the ability of federal agencies to impose educational standards on states, focusing instead on empowering local school boards and parents to make decisions about what is taught in classrooms. The initiative also aims to provide more transparency around school curricula, especially when it comes to topics like race, gender, and sexuality.
Governor DeSantis, who has made education reform a priority in Florida, emphasized that school choice and parental control are essential to ensuring that all children receive a high-quality education. He stressed that the bill would help protect children from being exposed to content that parents may find inappropriate or divisive.
“Florida has led the way in ensuring that our classrooms focus on academic excellence, not ideology,” DeSantis said. “This bill is about giving parents the power to make decisions for their children’s education, not bureaucrats in Washington.”
The initiative has garnered support from conservative parent groups, including Moms for Liberty, which has advocated for greater parental involvement in education and the removal of controversial educational content from public schools. These groups argue that parents should have the final say in their children’s education, particularly on sensitive topics.
However, the proposal has sparked strong opposition from teachers’ unions, progressive education organizations, and some Democrats, who argue that local control should not come at the expense of standardized educational equity. Critics warn that removing federal oversight could lead to disparities in educational quality across the country, particularly for disadvantaged students.
“This bill undermines the basic principle of equal access to quality education for all students, regardless of where they live,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
As the debate continues, this initiative is likely to be a major issue in the 2025 election cycle, with both sides of the political spectrum pushing for policies that they believe will shape the future of U.S. education for years to come.
