Parents’ Bill of Rights Proposed for Mahopac Schools

Mahopac School Board Trustees Tanner McCracken and Nicole Iacono have introduced a comprehensive “Parents’ Bill of Rights” aimed at strengthening transparency, parental involvement, and communication between families and the school district.

“Parents are not obstacles to education – they are the foundation of it,” said McCracken. “This proposal reaffirms the principle that parents have a first and foremost right to the upbringing of their children. We want to send a clear message that in Mahopac, parents will be respected, informed, and treated like true partners in the educational process.”

Iacono emphasized the importance of rebuilding confidence between schools and families.

“Parents should never feel like they need to fight for basic transparency involving their child’s education,” she said. “This bill is about trust, accountability, and making sure families once again have a strong voice in our schools. When parents and schools work together openly and honestly, our kids are the ones who benefit the most.”

The Parents’ Bill of Rights includes 10 key protections and expectations for parents and guardians the district would have to guarantee, including the rights to: timely information about academic progress, attendance, and behavior; review curriculum frameworks, syllabi, and instructional materials; visit schools and communicate with educators; participate in educational decisions impacting their child; challenge library books and establish parental checkout permissions; and transparency and participation in special education services and planning.

The proposal also includes provisions requiring greater curriculum transparency, detailed scope and sequence access for parents, and advance notice for guest speakers in kindergarten-through-grade-five classrooms.

The proposal is declaratory in nature and designed to codify and strengthen transparency practices within the district. Many of the rights outlined in the proposal already exist in practice or are scattered throughout various district policies.

The purpose of the Parents’ Bill of Rights is to consolidate and clearly communicate those protections to families in one accessible document.

McCracken and Iacono said they hope the proposal sparks a productive conversation across the community about parental involvement, accountability, and educational transparency.