Newly uncovered emails are shedding light on how the Biden administration’s Department of Education worked behind the scenes to shape a parent advisory council—one that, critics say, leaned heavily toward left-leaning activist organizations while leaving out conservative voices entirely.
In 2022, the department launched the National Parents and Families Engagement Council, presenting it as a partnership designed to bring together parents, educators, and community leaders to support student success. Sounds great on paper—until you look at who was actually invited.
According to the documents, the council was made up of hand-picked organizations, many of which were tied to teachers unions or progressive advocacy groups. Among them were the American Federation of Teachers, the National Action Network, the NAACP, PFLAG, and Unidos. Not exactly a politically balanced guest list.
In fact, as noted in the findings, not a single right-of-center or conservative parent group was included. So much for representing all parents—unless “all” suddenly has a very specific definition.
The Department of Education framed the council as an opportunity to “listen, learn, and engage families,” emphasizing that parents’ voices would play a critical role in shaping how students recover from the pandemic. But behind the scenes, invited organizations were asked to provide feedback on the structure and even appoint representatives themselves—effectively giving these groups direct influence over the council’s direction.
Some organizations pushed for the council to be even more “inclusive,” calling for broader demographic representation and emphasizing diversity across race, language, and background. Others focused on advancing specific policy ideas, including changes to school discipline policies, the role of police in schools, and expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups.
There were also discussions about terminology, with at least one group suggesting the term “parents” wasn’t inclusive enough and should be replaced with “caregivers”—a change that was later reflected in updated documents.
Additional concerns raised in the emails included requests for translation services and a stronger focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives—priorities that clearly shaped the council’s development.
At the end of the day, the documents paint a picture of a council that, while marketed as a broad platform for parents, was heavily influenced by a specific set of organizations with aligned perspectives.
And as more details come to light, one thing becomes increasingly clear: when it comes to shaping education policy, who gets a seat at the table matters. The good news? Greater transparency means these decisions are now being brought into the open—exactly where they belong.
