Introduction

Parental rights movements have gained much momentum in recent years with huge potential to impact the future of public education. University of Massachusetts (Lowell) Associate Professor Jack Schneider and journalist Jennifer Berkshire, also hosts of the education policy podcast "Have You Heard," say there's more happening with these movements than meets the eye. For the past few years, parents and schools have been embroiled in controversy on everything from banned books to curriculum choices to mental health clinics on campuses. This isn't the first time in education history where we've seen such movements, but Berkshire and Schneider say we need to pay closer attention to the political agendas behind them, and what this means for public education. In this episode, they reflect on the history of parental rights movements, the political agendas at play, and how these movements impact educators and students.