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In California, more communities are finding new and innovative ways to bolster Parent Power. Numerous civil rights groups and community activists are organizing parents to wield more influence in schools and increase access to administrators, while also educating them on issues such as budgeting and disciplinary practices.

Recent initiatives from California parents include questioning the performance of a school principal in Cudahy, CA, combating the unionization of classroom aides, and demanding more input in the state budgeting process.

This past fall, former California legislator Gloria Romero recalled writing the first-ever parent trigger law in the United States, enabling parents to decide to take action when their neighborhood school is failing their children.

It’s clear that the legacy of parent empowerment is spreading three years after Romero drafted that monumental piece of legislation.

And it’s not just in Calfornia. Parental input and influence in education is gaining traction across the country, as evidenced by the 72 percent of Americans who have a favorable opinion of the term ‘parent choice,’ according to CER’s recent national survey.

The decision of activists and self-described civil rights groups to take up the cause of parent empowerment is a testament to the truth that education is the civil rights issue of our time, and students and parents have an inherent right to choose the quality education that’s right for them.