On March 28, 2022, House Bill 1557 Parental Rights in Education was signed into law, protecting the rights of parents in need of additional assistance with certain disputes that are not timely resolved by the school district.  The following is a summary of the concerns that may be raised under the Parental Rights in Education [F.S. 1001.42 (8)(c)], but the entire bill can be found at: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2022/1557/BillText/er/PDF 

• The required notice regarding a change in the student's services or monitoring related to the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being and the school's ability to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for the student. 
• The requirement for School District personnel to encourage a student to discuss issues related to their well-being with their parent(s). 
• The prohibition against School District personnel prohibiting or discouraging parental notification of and involvement in critical decisions affecting a student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being. 
• The prohibition of classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, or in other grades in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate, in accordance with State standards. 
• The requirement that student support services training adhere to student services guidelines, standards, and frameworks established by the Florida Department of Education. 
• The requirement that, at the beginning of each school year, the District notify parents of each healthcare service offered at their child's school and of the option to withhold consent or decline any specific service. 
• The requirement that the District provide a copy of a well-being questionnaire or health screening form to the parent and obtain the permission of the parent before administering the questionnaire or health screening form to a student in kindergarten through grade 3. 

HB 1557 - Parental Rights in Education does not include the review of instructional materials.  Please reach out to the charter school’s administration directly regarding their purchased instructional materials.  Under F.S. 1002.33(16)(a), “A charter school shall operate in accordance with its charter and shall be exempt from all statutes in chapters 1000-1013”…, but “shall be in compliance” with those statutes listed in F.S. 1002.33(16)(a-b).

On October 19, 2022, the State Board of Education adopted Rule 6A-6.0791, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), Special Magistrate for Unresolved Student Welfare Complaints at Charter Schools. This rule is applicable to all charter schools. The purpose of Rule 6A-6.0791, F.A.C., is to support parental rights by providing charter school parents with a more expedient route to resolve certain disputes, in lieu of filing a lawsuit in court.