TRACE Act: New Bill Gives Parents Right to Review School Materials, See Foreign Funding Sources

The "Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act," or TRACE Act, amends the good ol' Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. This bill focuses on giving parents more insight into what's happening in their kids' schools, specifically regarding materials and funding coming from other countries.

School Funding: Show Me the Money!

This bill is all about transparency, especially where foreign money is involved. It gives parents the right to:

• See what their kids are learning: Parents can review and copy (for free!) any curricular or professional development materials that were bought with funds from a "foreign country or entity of concern." Schools have to make these materials available for review at least every four weeks, and within 30 days if a parent makes a written request.
• Know who's getting paid: Parents can find out how many school staff are being paid with money from these foreign sources. Again, the school has 30 days to respond in writing to a parent's request.
• Follow the money trail: Parents have a right to know about any donations, agreements, or financial transactions between the school (or the whole district) and a "foreign country or entity of concern." This includes the name of the foreign entity, how much money changed hands, and any strings attached to those funds.

Decoding the Jargon

Okay, "foreign country" is pretty self-explanatory. But what's an "entity of concern"? The TRACE Act doesn't define it here, but instead points to the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act. Basically, it is a foreign organization that is deemed to be a concern. The concern is that the referenced Act's definition could change.

Real-World Rollout

So, how might this play out? Imagine a parent, Sarah, hears about a new Mandarin Chinese language program at her child's school. Under the TRACE Act, she could request to see the curriculum materials if they were purchased with funds from China. Or, if a local business owner, John, is concerned about a foreign foundation donating to the school district, he could find out the details of that donation, including any conditions attached. The school district has to post a summary of these parental rights on its website, or otherwise get the word out at the start of each school year. The Secretary of Education will notify State educational agencies, who then must notify local educational agencies.

Potential Roadblocks?

While transparency sounds good, there are a few things to consider. Schools, especially smaller ones, might find it a bit of a headache to handle all these requests and keep track of every foreign funding source. It's also worth thinking about whether this focus on "foreign entities of concern" could create unnecessary suspicion, even if the funding is for something totally harmless, like a cultural exchange program. The law could be used to promote a specific political agenda or to censor educational materials.