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The Noith Caiolina Institute foi Constitutional Law
1

www.ncicl.oig
}uly 24, 2u1S
Common Coie will biing significant changes to the way peifoimance is testeu, anu
thus cuiiiculum is set, foi giaues K-12 anu how paients may (oi, moie aptly, may not)
influence, monitoi anu contiol theii chiluien's euucation. Changes in cuiiiculum anu
stanuaiuizeu testing aligneu to Common Coie iaise questions about the input of paients, if
any, in the wake of Common Coie's afteimath. This memoianuum is the last in a multi-pait
seiies about Common Coie.
2
This papei builus upon the factual anu legal analysis laiu out
in piioi memoianua by the Noith Caiolina Institute foi Constitutional Law. This papei
explains the constitutional iights of paients to paient theii chiluien anu uesciibes some of
the constitutional questions which aiise fiom Noith Caiolina's iush to auopt Common Coie.
*56 789:;66<;5 (=6<>=6<; ?<> ;56 !8<@;A;9;A8<?B &AC5;@ 8D /?:6<;@
!"#$%&"'() +,-",. %/ 0(&,1$#2 +"34$# $% +("#, $4,"& 54")6&,1. Almost 9u yeais ago in
7,8,& -9 :,;&(#<(, a schoolteachei was convicteu unuei a state statute banning the
teaching of foieign languages in school when he was caught teaching ueiman to a ten-yeai-
olu stuuent. The Couit iuleu the statute unconstitutional anu explaineu that the "libeity"
piotecteu by the Fouiteenth Amenument incluues the iight of paients to "establish a home
anu biing up theii chiluien" anu the iight of paients "to contiol the euucation of theii
own."
S
The Couit helu that what type of euucation a chilu ieceives is up to his oi hei
paients--not the goveinment.
Two yeais latei in 0",&', -9 =%'28 %/ ="#$,&#, two piivate schools sueu the State of
0iegon ovei a statute iequiiing paients to senu theii chiluien to public school. The couit
affiimeu 7,8,& by iuling the 0iegon statute unconstitutional, opining that the "libeity of
paients anu guaiuians" incluues the iight "to uiiect the upbiinging anu euucation of

1
Foi moie infoimation, please contact executive uiiectoi }eanette Boian at
uoianncicl.oig oi staff attoiney Tylei Younts at tyountsncicl.oig. Eithei attoiney may
be ieacheu at 919-8S8-SS1S.
2
Auuitional aiticles iegaiuing the constitutional iight of paients to paient theii chiluien
aie in uevelopment. Check back to ncicl.oig foi futuie publications.
S
7,8,&, 262 0.S. S9u, S99 (192S).
2
chiluien unuei theii contiol."
4
}ustice NcReynolus went on to say "the chilu is not the meie
cieatuie of the state; $4%#, .4% 1>&$>&, 4"? (16 6"&,'$ 4"# 6,#$"18 4(-, $4, &"34$@ '%>A),6
."$4 $4, 4"34 6>$8, to iecognize anu piepaie him foi auuitional obligations."
S

The Couit again confiimeu the existence of paients' iights aiticulateu in 7,8,& anu
0",&', in 1944 in 0&"1', -9 7(##('4>#,$$#. The Couit explaineu, "It is caiuinal with us that
the custouy, caie anu nuituie of the chilu iesiue fiist in the paients, whose piimaiy
function anu fieeuom incluue piepaiation foi obligations the state can neithei supply noi
hinuei."
6
In 0&"1',, howevei, the Couit maue it cleai that the iights of paients aie not
beyonu state contiol. "Acting to guaiu the geneial inteiest in youth's well being, the state
as A(&,1# A($&"(,
B
may iestiict the paient's contiol by iequiiing school attenuance,
iegulating oi piohibiting the chilu's laboi anu in many othei ways."
8

Since 0&"1',@ the Couit has iepeateuly iecognizeu the funuamental iight of a paient
to make uecisions conceining the caie, custouy, anu contiol of theii chiluien;
9
howevei, the
Couit has not aiticulateu a biight-line iule oi stanuaiu of ieview of infiingements upon the
iight oi iole of paients iaising theii chiluien. In 1972, the Supieme Couit ueclaieu a

4
0",&',, 268 0.S. S1u, SS4-SS (192S).
S
C6. 268 0.S. at SSS (emphasis auueu).
6
0&"1', -9 7(##('4>#,$$#, S21 0.S. 1S8, 166 (1944)
7
"Paiens patiiae is Latin foi "paient of his oi hei countiy." Black's Law Bictionaiy (9th eu.
2uu9).
8
C69
9
See, ,939@ =$(1),8 -9 C))"1%"#@ 4uS 0.S. 64S, 6S1 (1972) ("It is plain that the inteiest of a
paient in the companionship, caie, custouy, anu management of his oi hei chiluien
'come|sj to this Couit with a momentum foi iespect lacking when appeal is maue to
libeities which ueiive meiely fiom shifting economic aiiangements' " (citation omitteu));;
D>"))%"1 -9 E()'%$$@ 4S4 0.S. 246, 2SS (1978) ("We have iecognizeu on numeious occasions
that the ielationship between paient anu chilu is constitutionally piotecteu."); 0(&4(? -9 F9
+9@ 442 0.S. S84 (1979) ( "0ui juiispiuuence histoiically has ieflecteu Westein civilization
concepts of the family as a unit with bioau paiental authoiity ovei minoi chiluien. 0ui
cases have consistently followeu that couise."); =(1$%#<8 -9 G&(?,&@ 4SS 0.S. 74S, 7SS
(1982) (uiscussing "|tjhe funuamental libeity inteiest of natuial paients in the caie,
custouy, anu management of theii chilu."); E(#4"13$%1 v. H)>'<#;,&3@ S21 0.S. 7u2, 72u ("In
a long line of cases, we have helu that, in auuition to the specific fieeuoms piotecteu by the
Bill of Rights, the 'libeity' specially piotecteu by the Bue Piocess Clause incluues the iigh|tj
... to uiiect the euucation anu upbiinging of one's chiluien." (citing 7,8,& anu 0",&',));
I&%J,), SSu 0.S. at 66 ("In light of this extensive pieceuent, it cannot now be uoubteu that
the Bue Piocess Clause of the Fouiteenth Amenument piotects the funuamental iight of
paients to make uecisions conceining the caie, custouy, anu contiol of theii chiluien.").
S
compulsion school attenuance law inapplicable to Amish chiluien to attenu school past the
age of 14.
1u
The Couit explaineu, "The histoiy anu cultuie of Westein civilization ieflect a
stiong tiauition of paiental concein foi the nuituie anu upbiinging of theii chiluien. This
piimaiy iole of the paients in the upbiinging of theii chiluien is now establisheu beyonu
uebate as an enuuiing Ameiican tiauition."
11

0ne of the Couit's most iecent affiimations of a paient's moie geneial inteiest in the
"caie, custouy, anu contiol" of theii chilu was I&%J,) -9 H&(1-")), in 2uuu. Theie, the Couit
invaliuateu a Washington state statute that gave state couits bioau uiscietion to oveiiiue a
paient's choice conceining the visitation of thiiu paities. }ustice 0'Connoi's pluiality
opinion stateu "the libeity inteiest at issue in this case - the inteiest of paients in the caie,
custouy, anu contiol of theii chiluien - is peihaps the oluest of the funuamental libeity
inteiests iecognizeu by this Couit."
12

I&%J,) has continueu the iecognition of a paient's iight to contiol the upbiinging of
theii chiluien but has also auueu to its enigma. The case was ueciueu by a pluiality with
foui juuges joining the juugment, two concuiiing anu thiee uissenting. In his concuiience,
}ustice Thomas aigueu that paients' iights aie funuamental anu he woulu apply stiict
sciutiny (the stiictest stanuaiu of ieview), which neithei }ustice 0'Connoi's pluiality
opinion oi }ustice Soutei's concuiience mentioneu. }ustice Thomas obseiveu, "The
opinions of the pluiality, }ustice Kenneuy, anu }ustice Soutei expiessly iecognize such a
iight |to ieai theii chiluien, incluuing the iight to ueteimine who shall euucate anu
socialize themj, but cuiiously none of them aiticulates the appiopiiate stanuaiu of
ieview."
1S
In his concuiience, }ustice Soutei acknowleugeu the uisciepancies saying the
couit's uecisions "have not set out exact metes anu bounus to the piotecteu inteiest of a
paient in the ielationship with his chilu."
14
The lack of a fiim agieement among the }ustices
leau both }ustice Scalia anu }ustice Kenneuy to highlight the existing uisciepancies
conceining the iights of paients in theii iespective uissenting opinions.

1u
E"#'%1#"1 -9 K%6,&, 4u6 0.S. 2uS (1972).
11
C69
12
I&%J,), SSu 0.S. at 6S.
1S
C69, SSu 0.S. at 8u (Thomas, concuiience).
14
C69, SSu 0.S. at 78.
4
While 7,8,& anu 0",&', anu theii piogeny have pioviueu a constitutional founuation
foi some type of paiental iights, the scope of those iights iemains uncleai. The Couit has
shown that when a ieasonable paienting uecision is infiingeu upon by unieasonable state
action, as in 7,8,&@ 0",&',@ K%6,&, anu I&%J,) the Couit will upholu the paient's iight. So fai
the only cases in which the Supieme Couit has affiimatively suppoiteu the iight is when
access to euucation is infiingeu by State action. This is not, howevei, to say that in
Ameiica's evolving juiispiuuence, theie will nevei be occasion foi the Couit to iule on the
scope of paiental iights beyonu those auuiesseu in piioi cases.
I4, +"34$ %/ 0(&,1$# $% =>A,&-"#, I4,"& 54")6&,12# L6>'($"%19 As uesciibeu above,
paients have a constitutional iight to contiol the upbiinging of theii chiluien, especially
when it comes to euucation. The 0.S. Supieme Couit has invaliuateu state laws banning the
teaching of languages othei than English,
1S
piohibiting paients fiom senuing chiluien to
piivate schools,
16
anu iequiiing Amish paients to senu theii chiluien to school beyonu the
eighth giaue against theii ieligious convictions.
17
In each instance, the Couit baseu its
uecision eithei in pait oi in whole on the paiental iight to "establish a home anu biing up
chiluien," which falls within the libeity piotecteu by the Bue Piocess Clause of the
Fouiteenth Amenument to the 0.S. Constitution.
18

The Supieme Couit has closely guaiueu this paiental iight. Foi example, in stiiking
the 0iegon law that banneu teaching foieign languages in 0",&',@ the Couit wiote: "The
funuamental theoiy of libeity upon which all goveinments in this 0nion iepose excluues
any geneial powei of the State to stanuaiuize its chiluien by foicing them to accept
instiuction fiom public teacheis only."
19
As quoteu above, the Couit continueu: "The chilu
is not the meie cieatuie of the State; those who nuituie him anu uiiect his uestiny have the
iight, coupleu with the high uuty, to iecognize anu piepaie him foi auuitional
obligations."
2u
In ueclaiing Wisconsin's compulsoiy euucation law inapplicable to Amish
auolescents ageu 14 anu above, the Couit wiote, "the values of paiental uiiection of the

1S
7,8,& -9 :,;&(#<(@ 262 0.S. S9u, supia.
16
0",&', -9 =%'",$8 %/ ="#$,&#, 268 0.S. S1u (192S) supia.
17
E"#'%1#"1 -9 K%6,&, 4u6 0.S. 2uS, 2u7 (1972) supia.
18
7,8,& -9 :,;&(#<(, 262 0.S. at S99.
19
0",&', -9 =%'",$8 %/ ="#$,&#, 268 0.S. at SSS.
2u
C69
S
ieligious upbiinging anu euucation of theii chiluien in theii eaily anu foimative yeais have
a high place in oui society."
21
It concluueu by stating, "we think it entiiely plain that the Act
of 1922 unieasonably inteifeies with the libeity of paients anu guaiuians to uiiect the
upbiinging anu euucation of chiluien unuei theii contiol."
22
Thus, case law uemonstiates
that paients have a constitutional iight to uiiect the upbiinging anu euucation of theii
chiluien.
+8E !8==8< !8:6 &9<@ !8<;:?:F ;8 /?:6<;?B &AC5;@ ?<> 2;9>6<; /:AG?HF
M%## %/ 0(&,1$() 5%1$&%) N-,& 5>&&"'>)>? (16 O##,##?,1$#9 Common Coie is
pioblematic foi paiental iights because it stops paients fiom being able to influence the
cuiiiculum oi assessments to be auministeieu to theii chiluien. The National uoveinoi's
Association (NuA) anu Council of Chief State School 0fficeis (CCSS0), both Washington,
B.C. baseu piivate non-piofit oiganizations, contiol the Common Coie anu holu a copyiight
of the stanuaius.
2S
In oiuei to auopt Common Coie, states weie iequiieu to accept the
stanuaius veibatim, anu only have the option to supplement content not to exceeu 1S
peicent of the total cuiiiculum.
24
The Paitneiship foi Assessment of Reauiness foi College
anu Caieeis (PARCC) anu the Smaitei Balanceu Assessment Consoitium (SBAC), both of
which aie piivate non-piofits, will contiol stuuent assessments.
2S
In auuition to feueial

21
E"#'%1#"1 -9 K%6,&, 4u6 0.S. at 21S-14.
22
C69 at 2S2-SS. In othei contexts, the Couit has stiuck a balance between paiental
authoiity anu legitimate state inteiests. Foi example, in 1944, the Couit uphelu a state
chilu-laboi piohibition as it applieu to a 9-yeai olu giil who was soliciting at the uiiection
of hei }ehovah's Witnesses paients. 0&"1', -9 7(##('4>#,$$#@ S21 0.S. 1S8 (1944). Bowevei,
in 1979 the Couit iuleu that paients attempting to commit a chilu to an institution neeu
only submit to a scieening by a uoctoi oi neutial fact finuei, iathei than the notice anu
heaiing geneially iequiieu, except in cases of emeigency, to commit an auult. 0(&4(? -9
F9+9, 442 0.S. S84 (1979).
2S
http:www.coiestanuaius.oigpublic-license.
24
}ohn Kenuall, et al., State Auoption of the Common Coie State Stanuaius: the 1S Peicent
Rule 1, NcREL, Naich 2u12,
http:www.mciel.oig~meuiaFilesNcRELBomepagePiouuctsu1_99piou17_1SPe
icentRule.ashx.
2S
Common Coie FAQ. Noith Caiolina is a "goveining state" membei of SBAC anu fielu-
testeu assessments foi the oiganization uuiing the 2u12-1S school yeai.
http:www.smaiteibalanceu.oigaboutmembei-states#noith-caiolina.
6
funuing pioviueu to PARCC anu SBAC,
26
significant financing has been pioviueu by piivate
non-piofits such as the Bill & Nelinua uates Founuation, among otheis.
27
The known ties
these oiganizations have to piivate /%&PA&%/"$ companies only auu to conceins that piivate
inteiests will contiol euucational policy, while states anu paients aie ienueieu impotent.
28

uiven that the Common Coie Stanuaius aie copyiighteu by a nongoveinmental
entity anu must be auopteu in whole, paiental involvement in Common Coie is viitually
nonexistent. Financial ties thiough the No Chilu Left Behinu giants anu the Elementaiy anu
Seconuaiy Euucation Act waiveis, uetaileu in NCICL's papei on the topic, "Common Coie's
Bistoiy anu Stiuctuie," stiongly suggest that paients (anu voteis in geneial) will not be
able to have meaningful influence ovei the euucation theii chiluien ieceive. Now the
powei ovei cuiiiculum anu assessments will iesiue in a uistant, piivately funueu caitel of
non-goveinmental oiganizations, which aie insulateu both in teims of geogiaphy anu
political accountability fiom most paients.
29
Whatevei the piopei scope of paiental
authoiity in euucation may be, this aiiangement suiely bieaches it, anu thieatens to
swallow it whole.
!"$!,I2-"$

26
About PARCC, Paitneiship foi Assessment of Reauiness foi College anu Caieeis,
http:www.paicconline.oigabout-paicc; S1-State Consoitium Awaiueu RTTT
Assessment uiant, Smaitei Balanceu Assessment Consoitium, Sept. 2, 2u1u,
http:www.smaiteibalanceu.oignewsS1-state-consoitium-awaiueu-ittt-assessment-
giant.
27
Emmett Ncuioaity anu }ane Robbins, Contiolling Euucation fiom the Top: Why Common
Coie is Bau foi Ameiica, A Pioneei Institute anu Ameiican Piinciples Pioject White Papei
No. 87, at 1S, Nay 2u12, http:ameiicanpiinciplespioject.oigpieseive-
innocence2u1Scontiolling-euucation-fiom-the-top-2u1S-iepoit.
28
C6. at 16. Foi example, Niciosoft has maue investments in a Baines anu Noble uivision
woiking on cuiiiculum while the uates Founuation has collaboiateu with the Peaison
Founuation, which is connecteu to Biitish publishei Peaison PLC, to cieate online couises.
29
Chief }ustice }ohn Robeits wiote in :($2) Q,621 %/ C16,A9 R>#9 - =,;,)"># that by
establishing a system of feueialism, "The Fiameis thus ensuieu that poweis which 'in the
oiuinaiy couise of affaiis, concein the lives, libeities, anu piopeities of the people' weie
helu by goveinments moie local anu moie accountable than a uistant feueial buieauciacy."
1S2 S. Ct. 2S66, 2S78 (2u12) (quoting Feueialist No. 4S (}ames Nauison)). By not only
iemoving cuiiiculum fiom the state anu local level to the feueial level, but also auuing an
auuitional impeuiment by hanuing cuiiiculum assessment contiol to unelecteu bouies of
non-goveinmental entities, Common Coie iepiesents an even gieatei thieat to paiental
iights.
7
The feueial couits have iecognizeu a iight foi paients to contiol the upbiinging of
theii chiluien, incluuing the uiiection of theii euucation. Confusion exists howevei because
in the time since that iight was fiist iecognizeu, the couits have yet to uefine the piecise
scope of that iight. Although the full scope of the iight to paient iemains in uoubt, theie is
no uoubt that paients aie vitally inteiesteu in the euucation of theii chiluien. Fuithei, theie
is little uoubt that Common Coie, its stiuctuie, histoiy anu funuing leave little, if any, ioom
foi paients.