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Rep. Roy rolls out education bills to defund racist curricula and put parents back in charge of education

January 26, 2023

WASHINGTON—Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) introduced two education bills Tuesday to defund woke, racist indoctrination and fund students over systems in America’s public education system.

The Combatting Racist Teaching (CRT) Act will prohibit federal funding from going to schools that seek to indoctrinate children with critical race theory. The Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning (SCHOOL) Act will empower parents by allowing federal funds to follow a student, regardless of whether the child is in public school, private school, or homeschool.

Congressman Roy had the following to say about this legislation:

The American people gave House Republicans the power of the purse in November. We must use this power to stop funneling dollars into an education system that is poisoning the minds of our children and put parents back into the driver’s seat of their kids' education.

I am leading two bills that will help get our education system back on track. The Combatting Racist Teaching (CRT) Act will prohibit federal funding from going to schools that seek to indoctrinate children with critical race theory. The SCHOOL Act will empower parents by allowing federal funds to follow a student, regardless of whether the child is in public school, private school, or homeschool.

Parents should be in charge of their kids' education — not bureaucrats, politicians, or union bosses.

The Combatting Racist Teaching in Schools (CRT) Act prohibits federal funds from going to any elementary, secondary school, or institution of higher education that promotes race-based ideologies.

Specifically, the Combatting Racist Teaching in Schools (CRT) Act, would bar funding to institutions that promote theories describing:

  • Any race is inherently superior or inferior to any other race, color, or national origin.
  • The United States is a fundamentally racist country
  • The Declaration of Independence or Constitution of the United States are fundamentally racist documents
  • An individual's moral character or worth is determined by the individual's race, color, or national origin
  • An individual, by virtue of the individual's race, is inherently racist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously
  • An individual, because of the individual's race, bears responsibility for the actions committed by other members of the individual's race, color, or national origin

The SCHOOL Act allows federal funds for K-12 education to follow the eligible child, regardless of whether the child is in public school, private school, or homeschool.

Specifically, the ‘SCHOOL' Act:

  • Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to allow certain funds authorized under those laws to follow a child, whether learning in person or remotely, to the public school, private school, or homeschool of choice.
  • Allows those funds to be used for a range of needs, including:
    • curriculum materials;
    • technological educational materials;
    • tutoring;
    • extracurricular activities;
    • private school tuition; and
    • educational therapies for students with disabilities.
  • Ensures each child would receive the same amount of funding, regardless of where the child is enrolled.
  • Ensures that no child choosing to take advantage of these opportunities would be precluded from a federally funded school food program.
  • Protects non-public education providers from Federal and State control.

Cosponsors of the Combatting Racist Teaching (CRT) Act include Reps: Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14), Dan Bishop (NC-9), Tom McClintock (CA-5), Alexander Mooney (WV-2).  Read text of the legislation here.

Cosponsors of the SCHOOL Act include Rep: Jeff Duncan (SC-3). Read text of the legislation here.

More support for the CRT in Schools Act and the SCHOOL Act:

The education system is failing our children—from enabling woke ideas like critical race theory to the lack of accountability and transparency. Parents should be empowered to make learning decisions that both align with their values and promote core educational competency. Together, the CRT in Schools Act and the SCHOOL Act do just that. We encourage all members to support these important bills to protect parental rights and expand education freedom. -Ryan Walker, Vice President of Government Relations, Heritage Action

"The federal government has no place making decisions for students' education to begin with, so logic holds that any dollars it sends for education should be available for families to use as they see best fit for their child. We thank Congressman Roy for standing up with this common sense legislation. The simple concept of dollars following students instead of systems -- especially at a time when public school systems aren't working for so many families -- should be noncontroversial." -Adam Brandon, President FreedomWorks

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