Richmond, Va. — Last night, on an 8 to 1 vote, the Richmond School Board voted to adopt the Student, Parent, and Caregiver Bill of Rights, created by the Richmond Chapter of Virginia Organizing to provide a tool to families of public school students to know and defend their rights.

In 2020, the Richmond Chapter decided to start the Bill of Rights campaign after hearing from dozens of parents and students about their rights being violated in school, especially from families of color, families with students with disabilities, and families who don’t speak English as a first language. Virginia Organizing leaders, including parents, students, and teachers with lived experience on these issues, came together to write a Bill of Rights in plain, accessible language. Over the next year, the Chapter shared this resource and solicited feedback from 15 partner organizations and hundreds of parents through 20 separate outreach events. Several attorneys consulted on the project, including the attorney for RPS, Nicole Thompson.

We are overjoyed that the School Board agreed to adopt the Bill of Rights and make it available to all RPS families. We thank everyone who supported and voted for this project! This is a bold step towards parent and student empowerment and ultimately a more equitable school system!

To interview a spokesperson about this event, please contact Addie Alexander at addie@virginia-organizing.org or 434-249-4058.