"Breaking Trust: Attacks on Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, and Legal Abuses in America’s Schools"
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House Education and Workforce U.S. House of Representatives
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Tim Walberg
In fact, many school districts seem to rebuke traditional values. San Francisco and Chicago openly advertise abortion services for minor children. Chicago's website even reminds kids that, quote, "there is no parental notice requirement for minors accessing abortion in the state." Chicago also requires condoms to be available to students 12 and up. American students deserve better.
America's students need school leaders who have moral clarity about right and wrong and who aren't afraid to do the right thing even when it's unpopular. Schools need to stop playing politics, stop cutting out parents, and help students succeed. That's what today's hearing is about. And with that, I yield to the ranking member for opening statement.
Bobby Scott
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our witnesses for joining us today. Mr. Chairman, in education today, students, families, and teachers are confronting challenges that go beyond prom or science fair. Schools across the country are grappling with gun violence, ICE raids, learning loss, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the affordability crisis that is placing enormous strain on our communities. These are real, material concerns that demand action from Congress. That's why I'm disappointed that the majority has once again decided to ignore the concerns of parents and instead to focus on divisive culture wars with the hope of scoring cheap political points.
This is part and parcel of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans' track record of putting political games before proper governance and using divisive, hateful rhetoric to distract from their attacks on public education.
The federal government's responsibility on education is to ensure that all students have access to a quality, safe, and inclusive learning environment. That is our mandate, not debating whether or not teachers can teach about world religions or Black history. Yet the Trump administration is actively dismantling the Department of Education, leaving schools without research, guidance, or resources they need. The Office of Civil Rights has been decimated, and GAO investigation found that the administration wasted $38 million paying investigators not to work. Even more shocking, according to the Senate HELP Committee staff report, OCR reached zero resolution agreements in the calendar year 2025 involving sexual harassment, sexual violence, seclusion and restraint violations on students with learning or behavioral issues, racial harassment, or discriminatory school discipline.
The students who have experienced discrimination deserve a federal government that can investigate a claim and uphold their rights. By charging forward with the plan to dismantle the Department of Education, the Trump administration is undermining our ability to protect students and their civil rights. Earlier this morning, the Department of Education released long-term trend scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The data confirmed that today's students need more support. Long-term math scores have fallen to their lowest levels in a decade, and that's just not a failure of students, teachers, or schools, it's a failure of policy.
When students are falling behind, it's the federal government's responsibility to provide evidence-based research that states and districts can use to understand the gaps, challenges, and efficacy of the science of learning. That includes examining and assessing how students learn and prepare for a future shaped by artificial intelligence. Mr. Chairman, this is precisely why the work done at the Institute of Educational Sciences is so important. Incredibly, the Trump administration has all but shuttered the Institute of Educational Sciences, hamstringing the ability to understand the greatest educational needs and tools needed to address them. It is irresponsible and short-sighted to leave states and localities to fend for themselves, especially when many school jurisdictions are already strapped for resources and funding.
And it cannot be left unsaid that the Republicans' big ugly bill only exacerbated the educational challenges facing this nation. Parents don't care about what nicknames teachers use or what rainbows may be in the classroom. Recent polling from the National Parents Union revealed that while parents are optimistic about things happening in their child's classrooms, they are deeply concerned about the failures of the Trump administration. In fact, over 50% of parents gave Secretary McMahon a C or lower. And Mr. Chairman, I ask to enter the NPU's press release entitled "The New National Poll: Parents Flunk Trump on Education" into the record.
Bobby Scott
The takeaway from the National Parents Union poll is that politicization of education does nothing to boost student outcomes, and worse, cultural and decisiveness fuels bullying and discrimination, and it does nothing to provide resources and stability for schools in need. While my colleagues are focused on playing politics, Democrats are doing the work to advance policies that would fix crumbling schools and fund evidence-based policies that will improve student outcomes, protect every child from discrimination, and ensure that no parent has to fear for their child's safety when the school bus pulls away.
I hope that my colleagues across the aisle can realign their priorities and work with us to make these goals happen. It's time to work together with schools, families, and teachers to make these dreams a reality. And before I yield back, Mr. Chairman... I want to read a letter from members of the Loudoun County community to you and me, dated May 26th. The letter says that we, undersigned educators, parents, community members, and organizations in Loudoun County, are writing in support of the inclusive policies, initiatives, and community that have been created in Loudoun County Public Schools under the leadership of Dr. Aaron Spence.
Dr. Spence has been a critical part of ensuring that Loudoun County is a desirable place to live and raise a family. Strong, inclusive public schools are not just an essential public good, but also the foundation of a strong community. Dr. Spence is not just an administrator, but the parent of two LCPS students himself. He not only understands the community, but understands that education requires collaboration between students, their parents, their teachers, and school staff to ensure student success. As community members, we take issue with the premise that the trust is broken in America's public schools.
Academic success and the thriving school system in Loudoun do not happen by accident. The success is due to cultivation of trust and acceptance that teachers foster every day in their classrooms. Success is due to the relationships educators build with parents with the common goal of seeing our students succeed. Continuation of this success is because we, as a community, have not let the bigotry and fear-mongering of a few be louder than the love and acceptance that we can show children in our community. Promoting an environment of equity and decency is where everyone is expected and treated with dignity and harms no one.
We join this statement in full support of the inclusive school environment fostered in Loudoun County by Dr. Spence. Every student, especially our students of color, our transgender and gender-expansive students, our immigrant students, and our students with disabilities, deserve a safe place to learn where they can grow and thrive. We continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our community reflects the best that America has to offer when every child has the chance to succeed. And again, Mr. Chairman, I'm not going to comment on what you said, but I'll just read in response to public comments by the House Education Committee and Workforce Chair, the County School Board says: the Loudoun County School Board is deeply concerned by recent public comments made by the Chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee that call into question the work of Loudoun Public Schools ahead of Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence's testimony before the committee. These remarks do not reflect the reality in our school and risk undermining the important work taking place each day in support of students, staff, and families across the division.
The board finds the comments regarding Dr. Spence's leadership to be without merit and also believe it is important to emphasize the broader impact of these accusations at such a critical moment. As Dr. Spence prepares to represent our community before Congress, these statements distract from the substantive issues facing public education, its mission, and the invested parties it serves.
We find the timing and nature of these remarks particularly unfortunate at a juncture when focused constructive dialogue would better serve students and families. The board has full confidence in Dr. Spence's leadership and stands behind him in advance of his testimony. He continues to lead with a focus on academic excellence, student well-being, and ensuring that every student feels welcomed, valued, and supported in our schools. And I would ask that this, both of these statements be placed in the record.
And I yield back.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentleman. Pursuant to committee rule 8C, all members who wish to insert written statements into the record may do so by submitting them to the committee clerk electronically in Microsoft Word format by 5:00 PM 14 days after this hearing. And without objection, the hearing record will remain open for 14 days to allow such statements and other extraneous material noted during the hearing to be submitted for the official record. I'll now turn to the introduction of our four witnesses. Our first witness is Dr. Maquelyn King, Superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools in Chicago, Illinois.
Our second witness is Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools in Ashburn, Virginia. Our third witness is Mr. Jonathan Smith, Director for Education and Federal Strategic Advocacy at the National Center for Youth Law in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Our last witness is Dr. Maria Su, Superintendent of the San Francisco Unified School District in San Francisco, California. We welcome you all and we look forward to your testimonies. Pursuant to committee rules, I would ask that you each limit your oral presentation to a three-minute summary of your written statement.
The clock will count down from three minutes as committee members have many questions to ask you. However, pursuant to committee rule 8D and committee practice, we will not cut off your testimony until you reach the five-minute mark. I would also like to remind the witnesses to be aware of their responsibility to provide accurate information to this committee. I will first recognize Dr. King for your testimony.
Creg Williams
Good morning, Chairman Walberg and honorable members of the Education and Workforce Committee. I am Dr. Maquelyn King and I'm here to speak with you today about my background, the amazing strides we are making in Chicago Public Schools, and how we are serving over 300,000 students in our district every day. I did not come to this work through policy or politics, I came through the classroom. I spent 12 years teaching children in Chicago. The classroom is where I earned my National Board Certification and became a master teacher, mentoring the next generation of educators.
I then spent 15 years leading schools on both the north and the south sides of Chicago. Later, I had the honor of becoming, of being recognized as a Kahn Fellow for distinguished principals. As a former CPS student, teacher, principal, parent, and now as Superintendent CEO of Chicago Public Schools, I have seen this district from all sides and I welcome this opportunity to share it with this committee. Before I do that, I want to address the fact that I am here under subpoena. I respect Congress's role, important role in oversight.
I know we had to work through some complicated scheduling issues and some underlying privacy concerns related to the student and staff situations we may discuss today. But I look forward to answering your questions and to telling you more about the hard work we are doing at CPS. CPS serves more than 316,000 students across 77 communities of Chicago, one of the largest and most diverse student populations in the country. Their backgrounds, circumstances, and needs are as varied as the city itself. Chicago schools reflect the very best of our nation and our city: diverse, dynamic, and strengthened by people of different backgrounds, cultures, languages, and faiths.
Our classrooms are not homogeneous. They are vibrant communities where students learn alongside peers whose lived experiences may differ from their own. In CPS, we say: every student, every school, every community. Fulfilling that commitment requires us to recognize the diversity of experiences, needs, and strengths that exist across our district. The only way to truly serve a student is to understand and embrace what makes each student and community unique.
By recognizing and responding to those differences, we create schools where every student feels seen, valued, and supported. For example, in 2001, our high school graduation rate was around 42%. Today it's over 82%, and our dropout rate is under 5%, a record low. More than two-thirds of our graduates enroll in college. The class of 2026 will have college or career credentials that translate into millions in tuition savings for families.
These include college credits that reduce the cost of a degree, industry-recognized career credentials in high-demand fields and certifications for completing JROTC, or our police and fire training academy for students who want to serve our country and communities. We have much to be proud of watching our high school graduates cross the stage, but this journey of success starts much earlier. Thanks to the expansion of early childhood education, every child in Chicago has access to full, free pre-K in their neighborhood. As students progress in their educational journey, families can choose from neighborhood and charter schools, magnet schools with specialized arts programs, world languages and STEM, and selective enrollment schools that offer enriched learning experiences for students seeking additional academic challenges and engagement. Together, these options support families choosing the learning environment that is right for their child.
As we do this transformational work, CPS strives to comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and adheres to the regulations and guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education. All CPS policies are strengthened by family and community voice through our public comment process. Local school councils, parent advisory councils, and our Office of Family and Community Engagement exist precisely so that families of our 316,000 students have a real voice in this district. Hearing from the communities we serve helps us to improve the student experience and fulfill our mission.
Tim Walberg
I would ask the superintendent to wrap up your remarks. You've gone past the five minutes.
Aaron Spence
Thank you for the opportunity to be here today and I look forward to taking your questions.
Thank you. I now recognize Dr. Spence for your testimony.
Aaron Spence
Loudoun County Public Schools serves 80,000 wonderfully diverse students across 100 schools. Thank you, Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Scott, and members of the committee. We have a 97% graduation rate and six of our high schools are listed in the top 20 in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today. Families choose Loudoun County because they value the quality of our public schools, which strengthen our communities and create opportunities for students.
I'm especially grateful for the chance to highlight these results because we work so hard to ensure that our students, every student, regardless of background or circumstance, has a supportive and high-quality learning environment, one that prepares them to thrive in life and contribute meaningfully to society. That promise is carried forward every day by LCPS's dedicated educators, engaged families, and a community that believes in the power of education. I come to this conversation both as a parent of children attending LCPS and a very proud superintendent who sees the extraordinary care and commitment that exists inside our schools every day. I want to be clear and say that LCPS and I as the superintendent operate within the law. As the superintendent, it's my job to ensure that we follow federal laws, state law, and locally adopted school board policies, and we work with our students and with our families to do that.
I also want to state clearly that we do not discriminate. Our hiring practices, our instructional practices, and our student support systems are grounded in equal opportunity and compliance with civil rights law. We're in education because we care about students, and part of that means ensuring an environment where all students can reach their full potential. In truth, much of this work is about ensuring that students have access to rigorous coursework, removing barriers to opportunity, and working with our parents to help prepare young people for their future. Those are the long-standing goals of LCPS that I and my team strive to meet every day.
Despite our efforts to do that, we also know there will be challenges. Schools are responsible for navigating complex and often personal situations involving individual students and families. As we do, it's critical that my staff and I know and understand the governing laws and policies to ensure fairness for our students. When student-specific incidents occur or disagreements arise, we work with parents to address them carefully. We take these matters incredibly seriously.
Too often, the public narrative frames schools and parents as adversaries. That's not the reality I see in our community, and it's not the reality I see in public education more broadly. As I mentioned earlier in this statement, I'm a parent, and I believe it's critical that schools respect and listen to our parents as we work alongside them to educate our students. The overwhelming majority of parents and educators want the same things for our children: for them to be safe, academically challenged, emotionally supported, and prepared to contribute positively to their communities after graduation. LCPS thrives when we work closely with parents to educate and support their children, and I know the teachers and leaders in our schools demonstrate that commitment through their actions every day.
LCPS isn't perfect; no institution is. But the good ones will understand that and address concerns. We work hard to ensure that the education we provide meets the needs of our students and our families. The work happening in our classrooms is practical, it's serious, and it's student-centered. I appreciate the committee's attention to matters that impact students.
It's important we keep our students at the center of these conversations so that those of us working in education and those of us working in education policy can continue to ensure our students excel. Thank you. I welcome your questions.
Jonathan Smith
Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Scott, and members of the committee. Thank you for the privilege of testifying before you today. Public education has served as a cornerstone of our democracy. It provides the critical foundation that prepares young people to be full participants in our multiracial democracy and competitive in a global economy. I say that not only as a lawyer, but as a parent, one who sends my own children through a schoolhouse door every morning on a measure of faith.
I trust that the adults on the other side will see them, teach them, and keep them safe. Keeping that trust and keeping our public schools strong and vibrant comes down to two things. First, we must guarantee that schools remain places where all students have an opportunity to learn and succeed. Second, we must acknowledge and respect the rights of parents and students alike, recognizing that their voices and perspectives are critical in creating and maintaining safe and supportive learning environments. Turning to my first point, a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion ensures that all students can learn and succeed.
Diversity is not a buzzword. It is a fact, a plain recognition that our classrooms reflect the full demographic tapestry of our nation. Equity means giving each student what they need to thrive. Far too many are trying to score political points and treat it as a zero-sum game. But equity doesn't redistribute a fixed pool of academic success.
It expands it. And inclusion simply means that every student feels safe, respected, and valued, including mine. As a father of two black children who attend public school, I understand the need every parent feels to make sure their children are affirmed and supported throughout their education. When we fail to provide a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in our schools, we harm students. Exclusionary policies have driven a troubling increase in incidents of racial harassment against black students and other students of color and to a large increase in anti-LGBTQI hate crimes and bullying in our K through 12 schools.
This is not new. Our nation often hasn't always lived up to the promise of inclusivity in our schools. But throughout this, our history, it's been this body, Congress, that has acted through intentional interventions like Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, to respond to and to correct historical and ongoing injustice. Importantly, Congress didn't stop at writing the laws. It built the federal agencies and infrastructure to enforce them.
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights often stands as a student's last and sometimes only option to attend school free from discrimination. The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division also plays an important role. I served in that division as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General. I have witnessed firsthand how civil rights laws have been used to open the doors of opportunities for students across this country. And now those doors are being slammed shut.
These agencies have abandoned their roles in addressing discrimination, leaving students to suffer egregious harm. Turning to my second point, the important roles both parents and students play. Parents play a central role in shaping their children's education. As parents, we work to ensure that our children are in learning environments that are safe and affirming.
Our rights as parents have been recognized by federal courts for over 100 years. With those rights, while those rights are critically important, the Supreme Court has observed that the rights of parenthood are not beyond limitation. One parent's right does not supersede the rights of other parents or their children, nor does it allow for the erasure of history, the targeting of children, the banning of accurate books, or the undermining of the value of public education as a whole. Too often, the language of parents' rights has been misconstrued and manipulated not to advance the shared goal of serving and supporting students, but as a cudgel to divide our communities. This distorted view should not overshadow that students have rights as well.
They don't lose them at the schoolhouse gate. They had they themselves have a right to freedom of speech, a right to express themselves, a right to receive information, and a right to privacy. So let me close where I began, at the schoolhouse door. Supporting the rights of parents and respecting the agency of young people are not mutually exclusive. They are the same work.
The parent who asks their child to wants their child to be seen and the child who wants to be seen are asking for the same thing. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I look forward to your questions.
Maria Su
Chairman Walberg, Ranking Member Scott, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear here. My name is Dr. Maria Hsu. I have had the honor to serve as superintendent of San Francisco Unified School District for the last 18 months. I come to this role as a parent, a longtime public servant, and someone who believes deeply in public education and the potential of every child. As you can hear, I am suffering from laryngitis and I am having a difficult time using my voice.
Of course, I recognize the importance of being here today. I have come here voluntarily and I will answer your question to the best of my knowledge and recollection. San Francisco is proud of its history. The city is known as a pioneer in LGBTQ rights. We have a long tradition of embracing diversity and welcoming everyone, including those who feel marginalized or overlooked.
As a school district, we were one of the first to recognize the importance of teaching about our diversity so that students can learn and grow together. SFUSD serves more than 49,000 students from every neighborhood, background, and life experience in our city. We are proud to serve every child who walks through our door. We have a simple duty: helping students learn. We are focused on positive student outcomes.
Students must learn to read clearly, write effectively, and graduate prepared for college, career, and life. I understand this hearing is focused on parental rights, trust, and what parents expect from their schools. Those issues matter deeply to me. I know that learning does not happen in isolation. Students need safe and welcoming schools, and teachers need support.
Parents are a child's first teachers. We want strong partnerships and effective communication with parents and guardians so they feel informed, heard, and supported. We also take seriously our responsibility to ensure instruction is age-appropriate, aligned with state standards, and academically grounded. Public education is challenging work, especially in a moment when schools are often asked to carry the weight of broader political and social debates. SFUSD does not seek to direct students' personal beliefs, identities, or family values.
SFUSD does not seek to direct students' personal beliefs, identities, or family values. Our role is educational. While families may not always agree with us on every issue, every parent shares the same basic expectation: that their child will be safe, respected, and supported. I want to be clear: hate, bullying, and harassment have no place in our schools. Like many school districts across the country, SFUSD has faced difficult challenges in recent years.
Our role is educational. While families may not always agree with us on every issue
However, we have also made significant progress. Since I became superintendent, we stabilized the district financially, refocused on rigorous academics, supported our educators, and strengthened trust with families. Stable schools are essential for students, families, and communities. To achieve measurable academic improvements, we adopted new curricula in core subjects. We also set clear goals around literacy, math, and college and career readiness.
For the first time in a decade, we are seeing statistically significant improvements in our literacy scores. We know there's more work to do, and we are committed to improving outcomes for every child. Every morning, our students arrive at school expecting adults to help them learn, support them, and prepare them for the future through a high-quality education. That responsibility matters deeply to me, and it matters deeply to the educators and staff across our district. I am proud to represent SFUSD, and I look forward to answering your questions today.
Thank you.
Tim Walberg
Thank you. Thank you. Under committee rule nine, we will now question witnesses under the five-minute rule. I'll recognize myself for five minutes of questioning. Dr. King, as I mentioned in my opening statement, in 2024, Chicago Public Schools refused to allow students from a noted religious institution, long-time in Chicago, impacting the city and all through its communities in positive ways, refused to allow its education students to earn necessary practice teaching experience in Chicago schools due to their faith unless the institution would change its doctrinal policy on sexuality and gender beliefs.
For Chicago Public Schools, this was intolerable, those beliefs, at least it appeared that way. You demanded that the school drop its Christian beliefs in order for its teaching candidates to gain experience in Chicago schools. Of course, you reversed your position after a lawsuit. That's unsurprising.
Your position was an unconstitutional attack on people of faith. The question I have is, do you think teachers should have to renounce their Christian beliefs in order to teach in a public school?
Creg Williams
Thank you for the opportunity for me to address the Moody Bible Institute. And Chicago Public Schools has many universities with religious affiliations. And in entering into a partnership, there is a standard vendor contract that we ask those university partners to sign on to. There was a challenge with Moody agreeing to sign on as the other universities. And I'm happy to report that yes, we were able to reach an agreement and those student teachers will be entering Chicago Public Schools as student teachers in the fall.
Tim Walberg
But after a lawsuit. But the question I was, do you in the Chicago Public School system believe that teachers need to renounce their faith principles in order to teach in the school?
Creg Williams
I actually started my teaching career in a Christian school. And although...
Tim Walberg
That ought to be an easy answer then. What's your answer? Do Christian teachers need to renounce their faith in order to teach in Chicago Public Schools?
No, they do not.
Tim Walberg
Are teachers who believe that marriage is only between a man and woman welcome in your district?
Can you repeat that question for me, please?
Tim Walberg
Are teachers who believe that marriage is only between a man and woman welcome in your district?
Creg Williams
When teachers arrive, student teachers or any staff members that work in Chicago Public Schools in any capacity, we do ask that they adhere to the Chicago Public Schools' policies. We do not ask for their beliefs, but we do ask that all employees adhere to Chicago Public Schools' policies.
Tim Walberg
Which is justified. But in this case with the Moody, the students were not going to be allowed because the institution believes in a marriage between male and female. And that was what the lawsuit was about. And so I challenge you to make sure it's very clear that while policy needs to be followed, yet teachers can continue to hold those beliefs that are strongly held religious beliefs. Let me move on.
Dr. Hsu, your former ethnic studies curriculum featured a video titled "Why is there anger at Drag School Hour?" and asks students, "How does Drag Queen Story Hour disrupt the cycle of heterosexism for young minds?" At what age do you think students should be exposed to Drag Queen Story Hour?
Maria Su
Thank you, Congressman, for that question. I am really proud to be the superintendent of San Francisco Unified School District.
Maria Su
Well, we welcome all 49,000 students as they are. We support our students. We work really hard...
Tim Walberg
At what age do you think it's appropriate for Drag Queen Story Hour for your students?
Maria Su
We follow state and federal laws where we align our curriculum with state standards.
Tim Walberg
If parents have a religious objection to their child participating in Drag Queen Story Hour, do you allow them to opt out?
Yes, we do.
Tim Walberg
But I still didn't get the age requirement. My time has expired.
I now recognize the gentlelady from Oregon, Ms. Bonamici, for her five minutes.
Suzanne Bonamici
Thank you to each of the witnesses. Thank you for all you are doing for public education during a time when it is under attack. Hearings like this ignore the fact that the majority is doing nothing to solve the real challenges facing students and schools. Parents should be able to send their kids to school knowing that the school will keep them safe, and it is the legal obligation for them to do so. There are several factors that are causing real risk, not just hyped-up political perceived risk.
Where trans students go to the bathroom and books about queer people and accurate history are not on that list. In fact, multiple public health studies show zero evidence of correlation between transgender individuals using gender-appropriate restrooms and an increase in sexual offenses. In fact, research indicates that transgender people are more likely to be victims of assault. So, I want to note that a recent poll from the National Parents Union found that 75% of parents are concerned about ICE operations disrupting their children's education. Why aren't we having a hearing about the effects of immigration enforcement on teaching and learning?
Last year, a Gallup survey found that 41% of parents fear for their child's physical safety at school because of gun violence. Why aren't we having a hearing on strategies to address gun violence and end school shootings? A recent Pew Research Center survey of parents of teenagers found that 55%, more than half of those parents, are extremely or very concerned about teens' mental health. Why aren't we having a hearing on supporting students' mental health and resiliency? So I want to ask each of the superintendents, just in one sentence, what are the top concerns you are hearing from your parents?
Dr. King.
Creg Williams
The top concern for Chicago Public School parents at this time are cuts that could impact the classroom, which could impact their child's education.
Aaron Spence
Thank you for the question. Certainly budget cuts remain a concern for our school division as as others. We hear consistent concern about academic progress. We want to make sure that we're focused on literacy and numeracy at the early grades and how our children progress through.
Maria Su
Similar to my colleagues, our parents regularly tell us that they want us to continue to push the needle on academic rigor and meet student outcomes while we ensure that we have services that our students need.
Suzanne Bonamici
Thank you for raising real concerns of parents of public school students. And despite saying they want to give education back to the states, my colleagues in the majority have already passed numerous bills micromanaging what books students can read, attacking trans students, a very small and vulnerable population, dictating what bathrooms they can use. In fact, they're vilifying oftentimes young children who have the courage to identify as who they are. A study from the Trevor Project found that anti-transgender laws cause up to 72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary youth. 72%.
That's unacceptable and it's avoidable. So I want to ask you, Mr. Smith, why is it important for schools to support and protect all students, including transgender students in schools? And then I have another question, so I'll go with that one first.
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for your question, Representative. You know, it's important for schools to respect and to affirm all students because it's their obligation. It's the obligation of schools, it's their responsibility to keep our students safe. But also, it's their legal responsibility. It is the law that students be not be subjected to discrimination simply because of who they are.
Suzanne Bonamici
Absolutely. And Mr. Smith, the Trump administration is threatening to block all federal funding. We heard the concerns about the funding concerns here. The Trump administration is threatening to block all federal funding for schools that have inclusive policies. So, Mr. Smith, how would this kind of collective punishment affect the overall well-being of schools and students?
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question. You know, there is a ton of research that shows that inclusive policies, policies that make all students feel safe and seen, not only are good for those students, it's good for the entire classroom. It's good for the entire school.
That it leads to increased academic performance, it leads to lower dropout rates, it leads to students being able to fully succeed and also fully able to function in our diverse and multicultural, multiracial democracy.
Suzanne Bonamici
And and thank you, I also submit that that sends a message to all of the students how we should treat each other with respect regardless of who we are, what background we came from, who who someone loves or what they how they identify. Mr. Chairman, I sincerely hope that this committee will hold hearings on how to keep children safe from the actual threats they face every day: gun violence, immigration enforcement, student mental health, in addition to the policies that create thriving public schools, including paying teachers fairly, modernizing school infrastructure, creating wraparound support for students and families. Students and parents across the country are counting on us and as I yield back, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to enter into the record a letter from multiple parents groups advocating for safe and inclusive schools for all students.
Tim Walberg
Without objection, hearing none, they'll be entered. The gentlelady's time has expired and I now recognize the gentleman from South Carolina, Mr. Wilson, for his five minutes.
Joe Wilson
Thank you, Chairman Tim Walberg, and thank you for providing for this very informative hearing. The American families and parents and children need to know and educators where we should be proceeding. And Dr. Spence, I'm particularly grateful to be here with you. My family heritage is Virginia, my mother was born in Richmond, I graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, my number two son, an orthopedic surgeon, received his residency in Portsmouth, so we cover the whole Commonwealth. And so this is great.
And then additionally, I particularly cherish that my predecessor was the late Congressman Floyd Spence. So it's really good to have Dr. Spence here. With that in mind, in May 2021, Tanner Cross, a Christian teacher at Loudoun County's Leesburg Elementary School, was placed on leave after speaking out publicly against Policy 8040 in his personal capacity. He said at a school board meeting, quote, "My name is Tanner Cross and I'm speaking out of love for those who are suffering from gender dysphoria." "It's not my intention to hurt anyone, but there are certain truths that must be facing reality."
"I love all my students, but I will never lie to them regardless of the consequences." "I'm a teacher, but I serve God first and will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion." Two days later, he received a letter noting he'd been placed on leave, quote, "pending an investigation of allegations that he engaged in conduct that was disruptive impact on the operations of Leesburg Elementary School." Was that a mistake?
Aaron Spence
So the the incident that you're talking about actually predates my tenure in LCPS, but I do think that our employees have the right to their deeply held religious beliefs and I think they have the right to express those in public comment for certain. I don't know specifically if the investigation that was being done was related to a violation of policy. If it was related to a violation of policy within the school, that wouldn't have been a mistake, if it was simply for expressing his belief, that would have been a mistake, yes.
I'm sorry, I don't help me understand the question.
Speaker 20
An apology from the school board, an apology for the providing of him being placed on leave.
Joe Wilson
Incredibly, this isn't the only case of persecuted people of faith for holding traditional views of gender.
Monica Gill, who taught in Loudoun County for 25 years, and in 2025, quote, "The school district threatened to force me to lie to students about the fundamental truth of biological reality, which I would never do."
Speaker 17
Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman. Could we suspend? Could we suspend? Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, we'll suspend for a moment.
Mr. Scott, what is your question?
Thank you.
Joe Wilson
Resume now and any time taken will be restored. Mr. Wilson, you are open to continue your questioning.
Thank you, terrific Chairman. We appreciate you. With this in mind, again, Monica Gill says, "I treat all my students, including those who identify by opposite sex, with dignity and respect," end of quote. On behalf of LCPS, would you like to apologize that Ms. Gill, that the district made compromising her faith a condition of employment?
Aaron Spence
I don't believe that that's what occurred, and I know that that matter's been settled.
Joe Wilson
Well, it certainly by decency and common sense, these should be resolved immediately. And then, Dr. Kane, in your website, there's a, it tells the students of there's no lower age limit and no parental notice requirement for minors accessing abortion care. And with that, there's also an agreement with Planned Parenthood and partnership to refer to pregnancy options counseling, and no surprise, that really promotes abortion. With that, Dr. Kane, is there any form of abortion you teach that students is as immoral and unwise? In particular, do you support suctioning the baby out intact, or should the baby be dismembered part by part, disposal of the arms, legs, head, and body?
Joe Wilson
The question again is your school, are your, you're promoting working with Planned Parenthood to promote abortion. And with that, there are different forms of abortion, and which do you support? Suctioning the baby out intact, or should the baby be dismembered in part by part, removing the arms, legs, head, and body? Which form of abortion do you think would be the most preferable?
Creg Williams
I'm very disturbed by that question, and I want to say that Chicago Public Schools' sexual education curriculum is in compliance with Illinois state law. And I also would like to say that my personal, I'm here to represent Chicago Public Schools, and I'm willing to answer questions on Chicago Public Schools' policies.
Joe Wilson
Well, that's the policy of promoting abortion, and it's actually shouldn't be. Families should have a right to counsel with their family. I yield back.
Tim Walberg
Gentleman yields, and I recognize the gentleman from California, Mr. Takano.
Mark Takano
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today, all of you. You know, the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, or otherwise known as OCR, was created to protect students from discrimination, harassment, and abuse. Mr. Smith, I'd like to begin with you. I'd like to run through some of OCR's statistics from the past year under the Trump administration.
Let's check the facts. So last year, OCR reached zero case resolutions related to sexual harassment and violence, racial harassment, or seclusion or restraint. Is that correct, as far as you know?
Mark Takano
And from March to September of last year, the administration dismissed 90% of complaints without completing a full investigation, correct?
That's what I understood to be correct.
Mark Takano
And when I when we say they dismissed 90% of complaints without completing a full investigation, that's not a good thing.
I don't believe so, no.
Mark Takano
There is a backlog of roughly 24,000 pending cases before the Office of Civil Rights, or OCR. Mr. Smith, what other recourse do the students and families who filed these 24,000 cases have if the federal government will not step in to enforce their rights?
Jonathan Smith
They oftentimes have no additional recourse. And if I could just flag, my organization actually filed a lawsuit challenging the dismantling of OCR. And speaking directly with our plaintiffs, the one thing they said over and over again was that they feel helpless. That they feel like their students, their children, are suffering because of their sex, because of their race, because they have disability, and they literally have no place to turn.
Mark Takano
So we're talking about students often from low-income families, middle-income families. I mean, accessing the courts is an expensive proposition. That's why we have the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education to protect students from discrimination, from harassment, right, is that correct?
Correct.
Mark Takano
So this backlog, this backlog isn't just because OCR has left staff. Throughout the Trump administration's second term, Secretary McMahon has redirected staff, resources, and taxpayer dollars to focus on investigating schools they object to politically. This past year, the administration launched over 100 investigations into school districts and other educational entities with policies and curricula the president doesn't agree with. Over a quarter of those investigations have been launched without a complaint present. I mean, they're investigating but not in response to a complaint, but just because they don't like that school district's policies.
And it means that no student, parent, or other individual actually requested that the investigation take place. And mind you, we've seen OCR staff reduced by about half or more, and the Office of Management and Budget is actually saying that there should be even more further reductions. So this huge backlog of 24,000 cases has not been really adequately dealt with. But yet, we're spending committee time today on investigations that nobody asked for. So how does the Trump administration, Mr. Smith's, OCR's focus on hunting down school districts they disagree with politically impact students whose cases are still stuck in the backlog?
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question. You know, it's not just the backlog that is troubling. It's the fact that there has been an exponential increase in OCR complaints over the last several years. And so what that means is that there are literally thousands of students across the country who each and every day are experiencing discrimination and OCR's not responding.
Mark Takano
Excuse me, so Mr. Smith, I just want to look at some of those cases. Students contacted OCR after repeatedly being touched inappropriately and called slurs by classmates, detailed in this article here. A student with disabilities was isolated, secluded, and restrained with enough force to leave bruises, in this article here. A female student was forced to continue taking classes with another student who sexually harassed her, that's documented in this report here. I ask unanimous consent to enter all these into the record, Mr. Chairman.
At the heart of these witch hunt-style investigations are transgender-inclusive policies and curricula in schools. My Republican colleagues claim that creating policies and curricula that are trans-inclusive violate the civil rights of other students. Mr. Smith, to be clear, do policies which ban transgender students from using the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity make schools safer?
Without objection, they'll be entered.
Jonathan Smith
They don't. In fact, we know that transgender students are more likely to be sexually assaulted and harassed in restrooms and in other places throughout their lives.
Tim Walberg
I'm sorry, I wish we could kind of delve deeper into this question, but my time is up and I've got to yield back.
Virginia Foxx
Gentleman yields back, and I recognize the Chairman Emeritus of this committee, the gentlelady from North Carolina, Dr. Fox.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Never in my wildest dreams did it ever occur to me that we'd be having a hearing like this. At least two of your school districts allow biological males to sleep with biological females on overnight field trips. Chicago's guidance says, quote, "The specific accommodation should be assessed on a case-by-case basis," end quote. Loudoun County regulations state, quote, "Students may be assigned to a room related to their consistently asserted gender identity," end quote.
Dr. King, do you think it's appropriate for boys to sleep in the same room as girls on field trips? Yes or no?
Creg Williams
Chicago Public Schools' policies are in alignment with the state of Illinois.
Virginia Foxx
Is it appropriate for a biological boy to sleep in the same room as biological girls? Yes or no? You're adhering to the policies. Do you decide that?
Creg Williams
If a student is transitioning and that if they have gone through the eligibility process and it has been approved according to Illinois policy, that would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Dr. Spence. Same question.
Aaron Spence
Same question. Thank you. It's appropriate and lawful for transgender students to be able to be treated as their consistently identified gender. It's also appropriate and important that we acknowledge that our policy says that parents can seek alternatives to that if they have those concerns, and that all they need to do is approach our administration, share those concerns, and we'll make alternatives available to them.
Virginia Foxx
So both of you, you have your doctorates, and you are asserting that it is possible for a person to change his or her gender to the opposite gender. I find that appalling that you would assert that given your education background. Each of your districts has adopted policies that allow students to request the use of different names and gender pronouns at school without parental notification. One Chicago Public Schools teacher recently told Fox News, quote, "The most unethical aspect of my career as a teacher in Chicago is looking at a parent and using a different name and gender for a student than what the student is using at school with dozens of teachers and hundreds of classmates." Dr. King, have your teachers ever lied to parents about what their child is being called at school?
Yes or no?
Speaker 26
Dr. Spence. Do teachers lie to parents about what their children are being called at school?
Aaron Spence
I'm not aware of any single instance and I've never had a parent raise that concern with me.
Dr. Hsu.
Same question.
Maria Su
Um, I'm also not aware of of such incidences, but I will say that in San Francisco, we embrace all of our students. We welcome them as they are in our schools because we fully believe that creating a safe, respected, and supported environment is how our students will be able to learn.
Virginia Foxx
Dr. King, when is it wrong to lie to parents about their child's gender identity?
Creg Williams
Parents are a vital member of our of our student's educational journey and Chicago Public Schools would never ask a teacher to lie to a parent.
Virginia Foxx
Dr. Spence, I hope you agree that every family should be able to review curriculum being used in your schools. Parents should know what their children are being taught. Unfortunately, we've heard from parents in your district that it can be difficult to get their hands on your curriculum. Can parents review all curriculum in your schools?
Aaron Spence
Thank you, Congresswoman. The specific parent that I'm aware of that you've heard from was asking to review specific curriculum that we pay a site license for and that's governed the the protections for that under the FOIA laws um are we don't um we have to have their permission to release what would be proprietary materials. We shared that information with with that family. Our curriculum materials, so the standards that we use in the Commonwealth of Virginia are available to all of our parents and then any curriculum materials that aren't governed under those proprietary laws are available to our parents for review. Absolutely.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Gentlelady yields. I now recognize Mr. Briccanto, Mr. Chairman.
For what purpose does Mr. Briccanto ask questions?
Speaker 28
I would just like to ask unanimous consent to enter the record a letter from Advocates for Trans Equality and over 50 civil rights organizations.
Tim Walberg
Without objection, it'll be entered. Thank you. I now recognize the gentlelady from North Carolina, Ms. Adams, for her five minutes of questioning.
Alma Adams
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and and thank you to the witnesses for being here today. Um, Mr. Smith, um, I want to start where I think this hearing should start, with students. Because if we're serious about trust in schools, then we can't ignore what breaks that trust. Trust is broken when students experience racism in the classroom. Trust is broken when families are afraid to send their children to school because of immigration enforcement in their communities.
Trust is broken when the federal government withholds billions of dollars that Congress already provided for students, teachers, and schools. And that's what parents are worried about. Uh, they want their children safe, they want their children respected, and they want their children learning and they want schools to have the resources to do the jobs. But today, more than half of our public school students identify as students of color, but less than a quarter of teachers are people of color. Uh, that means educator preparation matters.
Cultural competency matters, bias training matters, professional standards matter as well. Uh, we've seen what happens when schools get this wrong. In Florida, a teacher was fired after a video appeared to show a black baby doll hanging from a classroom television monitor. In another case, a teacher was recorded using a racial slur in the classroom. And that kind of conduct has no place in any classroom in America.
I taught for 40 years, I have children who went through public schools and as a parent, I never had an opportunity I never uh had a situation where I could not uh speak to the teachers about what my children were doing. Mr. Smith, what do incidents like these tell us about the need for educator training around cultural competency, bias awareness, and working with diverse communities, and what do you say to those who claim this kind of training is unnecessary?
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question.
You know, such training as you mentioned is not only necessary, it's also completely lawful. That our schools have to be in places where every student feels safe, they feel secure, they feel comfortable being themselves. And that's not just a preference or ideal for schools, that's literally the law. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires that schools not create or tolerate hostile environments. And as you noted, for far too many students of color and far too many other students, school classrooms are not places where they feel comfortable.
Far too many of them feel isolated. And I think your point about having teachers who reflect them, you know, I think about my own education. My first black teacher was when I was in second grade and she was the first teacher I felt as a young person who affirmed, who saw me as who I really was. And so I think having and not I think, I know having teachers of color is critical to academic performance.
Alma Adams
Thank you, sir. Let me let me move I have a few more questions, so let me let me turn to immigration students and families. In Charlotte, we saw thousands of students absent from school during protests connected to immigration enforcement activity in the community. When students are afraid, when families are afraid, and when children are wondering whether school is still a safe place for them, that affects learning. A child cannot focus on reading and math and science or history if they are worried that their family may not be there when they get home.
Mr. Smith, how can schools help immigrant students feel safe attending school and fully able to learn without fear or disruption? And in the past, were there ways that the federal government recognized that schools are sensitive places? And if you can be brief with this answer, I'd appreciate it.
Sure. Yes, there was a policy that required schools to be to be identified as sensitive locations where ICE enforcement could not happen. That policy was revoked and rescinded by this administration. And instead of actually creating safe and supportive environments, this administration has targeted immigrants and other communities of color in ways that are unconscionable.
Okay, let me move on to to say something about funding. My colleagues can talk about parental rights all day, but parents also have a right to expect the federal government that won't play games with their children's education. Last year, the Trump administration withheld $7 billion in congressionally appropriated education funding. That money was for after-school programs, teacher training, English language acquisition, adult education, and student support. That does not build trust, that breaks trust.
And Mr. Smith, what happens to students and families and school districts when federal education funding is delayed or withheld, and who's hurt the most when that funding is is held up? You got 10 seconds, sir.
Speaker 32
Thank you. Who suffers are those students. We see decrease academic performance, we see higher dropout rates. But also what we see is that the performance of all students suffer when the performance of some students suffer. And so if we want inclusive classrooms, if we want successful classrooms, we have to support all of our students.
Speaker 30
Thank you, sir. My time is Mr. Chairman, I do request unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from students all across this country that speak to this as well.
Rick Allen
Without objection, it will be entered. And I recognize gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Allen.
The plaintiff, who detransitioned, successfully sued her former psychologist and plastic surgeon for failing to meet professional care standards when they authorized and performed a double mastectomy when she was 16 years old. Do you understand the legal ramifications of what you're dealing with here, and when these children get, you know, we, we do understand that as children get over this euphoria, when they reach age 25, that many regret those things that were imposed on them when they were children. And are you aware of the legal, I mean, that's two million. I'm sure the trial attorneys are going to jump all over this, and you're going to be liable. So, Ms., uh, Dr. Su, your guidance on trans students lists refusing to address a student by their chosen pronoun on an equal plane with egregious abuses such as physical assault motivated by hostility toward the student.
Do you think that not using a student's preferred pronoun is morally equivalent with assault?
Maria Su
Thank you for the question. In San Francisco, we welcome all of our students as they are. We believe firmly that when we allow students to come in and truly be themselves, we're able to teach our students and support our students to be thriving adults.
Rick Allen
So when those students grow older and, uh, are then understand that maybe things are different than you said, well, that's okay. Do you understand the legal consequences that you've, the way you've misled that student by just saying, well, you know, that's okay. And, and then they learn later on, this isn't the way it works. This is, this won't work in my life, or because of emotional ills or whatever, they get maybe professional advice that's different. But you're going to be, you're going to be held responsible legally for what you're perpetrating on young people.
Dr. King, in fact, all of your districts actively help students change their names, pronouns, and locker rooms if they want to transition genders. But this isn't always the best for the child. We've seen a wave of stories about students regretting their gender transition, detransitioning, and wishing the adults in their lives gave them better advice and guidance. To protect these children, under what circumstances will your district advise against a social transition and deal with the legal implications of this lawsuit that is now precedent in law, which has required all of these hospitals and physicians, I mean, these doctors are telling these parents, if my child doesn't transition, if your child does not transition, they're going to commit suicide. And then performing the operation.
And now look what we have. We have illegal precedent that, you know, and, and guess what, all these hospitals and physicians are going to be sued for malpractice. Are you, are you willing to deal with that in your school system and the multitudes of dollars that you're going to be sued for for allowing children to believe whatever they want to believe and not raising them up in the way that they should go?
Can you answer that question, Dr. King, of how are you going to deal with the legal implications of this? I mean, you better get back and get with your school board and y'all, your lawyers, and better figure out how to deal with it because this is going to be rampant throughout this nation. And like I said, the trial lawyers are going to be all over it. So I have 11 seconds.
Speaker 33
I cannot opine on the laws. I can answer to the policies and operations for Chicago Public Schools.
Creg Williams
Okay. Well, you probably better do that. I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
Tim Walberg
Gentleman yields. I now recognize the gentlelady from Georgia, Ms. McBath.
Lucy McBath
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to our witnesses for each and every one of you being here today. We really appreciate it. And Dr. King, as I said to you earlier, one of my sisters is a teacher in your Chicago Public School system. I was actually born and raised in Chicago, so thank you. I hope that we're able to get back to the essence of what why we're here today, talking about educating our children today, which is most important, and that truly is your responsibility.
I know it can be a difficult and a thankless task, job, for what you're doing. But that isn't the reason why people stay in public education. You truly are dedicated to our children and our families. You do it for the kids. Our teachers, they do it for the kids.
Our superintendents, they do it for the kids, parapros, they do it for the kids, for the students and the families that have nowhere else to send their child to learn but their public school. For 10 years, I was a single mother working as a flight attendant on the weekends while I homeschooled my son Jordan during the school week. It was hard, but it was an experience I would never have traded for anything in the world to spend more time with my son Jordan before he was taken from me in a racially motivated shooting. Time that I will now forever deeply cherish. I did that because the public schools where we lived were so starved of their resources in the state of Georgia where I represent, so deprived of funding and support from Congress that I could not simply send him there.
This isn't a choice that any parent should have to be forced to make. But that was the reality that was forced upon me and my son and the reality that is forced upon tens of millions of Americans every single day across our country. I made a promise to myself that if I ever could, I would do what I can to ensure that every school has the support they need to ensure that every child truly is never, ever left behind. There are so many parents that don't have the time or the money to homeschool. I was blessed to be able to do that.
That just isn't how life works for most people. Their public school is their child's only option, and we should not be making their problems worse with voucher schemes, funding cuts, and hearings really only meant to drag public schools through the mud. Whether they intend to or not, my Republican colleagues are creating a two-tier education system: one for those that are born in certain zip codes, one for the wealthy, one for those who are lucky enough to win a charter lottery or get a scholarship, and another for the rest of us. That is not what public education should be about. It doesn't have to be this way.
It should not be this way. These are problems in schools that we can fix. So I encourage my Republican colleagues to take a hard look at the difficult choices that their policies are really forcing on our parents, our children, and our communities.
Republicans want to call it school choice, and they are making a choice. They are choosing to abandon your child and your child's public school education. They are choosing to let unqualified teachers into your kid's classroom, and they are choosing to allow new schools to move into your neighborhood, take federal tax dollars meant for the public good, and then possibly deny your child get a good public education. Mr. Smith, the bill language signed into law creating the national school voucher program does not require scholarship-granting organizations or the private schools and programs they fund to comply with federal civil rights protections like the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. What guarantee, if any, does the parent or a guardian of a student with a disability have that their child will receive an appropriate education if they use a voucher?
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question. There's no guarantee, and the reality is that sending, using vouchers to send children to private schools that don't comply with federal laws will harm not just students with disabilities, it will harm students of color, it will harm all students who remain vulnerable. And not only will it harm those students, it will also siphon away critical funding for public schools, and so the neediest children will also continue to suffer. You know, 90% of American school children attend public schools. And so to use those public dollars to subsidize private schools and religious schools, as you said, isn't about school choice, it's about the private school's choice.
Lucy McBath
Thank you very much. My understanding is they really don't have any guarantee at all, just as you said. I look forward to working with you to ensure that every child, regardless of a disability, receives the high-quality education that they deserve. I'd also like to submit for the record a letter from faith organizations supporting every child's right to be included at their public school.
Without objection, it will be entered.
Thank you, and I yield.
Tim Walberg
Gentlelady yields, and I'll recognize the vice chairman of this committee, the gentleman from Utah, Mr. Owens.
Burgess Owens
Thank you, thank you, Mr. Chair. For those who are tuning in to watch this, this hearing, I just want to say thank goodness for school choice, federal school choice. For those who sit and listen and realize how much nonsense is going on here, the focus has not been our kids, obviously, just know that help is on its way. By the way, 32 states have opted into the school choice program. So we don't have to sit down and wait now for those who are waiting in these long lines of lotto to get into a school system, those days are coming to an end.
Dr. Su, your new ethnic studies curriculum compares parents protesting school boards over COVID policies to 1960s white parents trying to avoid desegregation. It says parent protests of school policies are not just a recent phenomenon, however. In the 1960s, many white parents put their children in private schools in order and in response to desegregation policies. Do you see this as a problem only with white parents?
Speaker 38
Thank you for that question. I'm sorry, do you have the example that you're reading from? Can I see, can I see the document?
Speaker 39
Well, if I don't have the document, do you agree with the statement I just made, that parents, white parents were leaving schools because of what they did back with desegregation days?
I would need to understand.
Burgess Owens
Okay, I'm going to, for any of us who hear that, I would say absolute not. I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it. So obviously you might, you probably do. If that's the case, do you also think that black parents opting out of public school systems are also racist?
Maria Su
If you're referring to the fact that we spent multiple years identifying a new ethnic studies curriculum at San Francisco Unified School District, then I will speak to that.
Burgess Owens
Okay, all right, I'll take it back. Just know that in terms of parents leaving public school systems, it's all colors. Matter of fact, the Black Congressional Black Caucus has a history as high as 52% of them putting their kids into private school, taking them out of public and putting them in private schools, because it is the parent's right to make sure their kids are being treated and taught right. Ms. Dr. King, your fifth grade material includes an objective for students to explain what puberty blocker medications are and the role they may play for transitioning young people. Fifth grade seems pretty young.
That's 10 years old. What is the age that is not appropriate to be learning about puberty blockers?
Creg Williams
Whereas I'm not exactly aware of the age in the curriculum, our sexual education curriculum that you're referring to, but I do want to state that our curriculum is in alignment with Illinois.
Speaker 43
Okay, so is 10 years old okay for you, your personal opinion, to be teaching these kids about puberty blockers?
Speaker 43
No, you have a position. You are in a leadership position. Is 10 years old, is that an age too young for you?
Burgess Owens
Okay, all right. I'm going to return, I just want to make a point real quickly. Dr. King, only 23% of the CPS fourth graders are proficient in reading, 24% proficient in math. For black students, only 12% are proficient. I want to ask each one of you guys, is 77% failure rate for reading okay?
76% failure rate in math and 88% of our black students not being able to read, is that okay, Dr. King? Is that success or failure?
Okay, how about you, Dr. Spence?
Aaron Spence
I would say any child who is not successful in reading in schools would be unacceptable.
Speaker 40
Is that, I'm asking specific, yes or no, is that acceptable? Is that success or failure?
Aaron Spence
I answered, yeah, no, it's not acceptable that any child would come through.
Okay, Dr. DuCoux, is that success or failure?
That is not acceptable.
Speaker 39
Okay, so if you are over a school system that is getting these kind of results, are you successful or failing our kids? Dr. King? Are you succeeding or are you failing when you have these kind of results?
Creg Williams
Chicago Public Schools is successful in identifying targeted supports to students based on the needs that they have.
Okay, thank you. Dr. Spence?
Speaker 42
I'm very pleased with the results that we have in Loudoun County Public Schools and recognize that we have more work to do.
Okay, thank you, Dr. Spence. Dr. DuCoux?
Speaker 44
We work every single day to ensure that our students are meeting our goals.
Burgess Owens
This, thank you, this is why we need choice. And I'll say this, my dad was a professor for 40 years. My suggestion is that this is not your thing. Need to find something else to do because you're not helping our kids, you're failing our kids, and it's obvious to anybody listening right now. So thank goodness for school choice.
Thank you, I yield back.
Jahana Hayes
I am a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. I am a public school teacher, and all of my children attended public schools. As a career educator, I will also say that no one here is saying that we don't support public choice. Parents should have the right. The problem is and the issue here is that that right needs to be afforded to everybody.
Speaker 41
Gentleman's time has expired and I recognize the gentlelady from Connecticut, Ms. Hayes.
Jahana Hayes
Thank you. Before I start, I just want to say a few things.
That opportunity needs to be afforded to everybody. So the school across the street from your house should be as good as the school 30 minutes away. Every school should have the highest educational opportunity for children. I've listened to some of the comments here, and Dr. Su, I appreciate your answer. You have a responsibility to all students.
We've heard over and over about students' identity and their gender preferences, and somehow you should be afraid because legally you will be held accountable. As professional educators, I would expect for you, I can tell you what I did. I used affirming language. I created environments that did not, literally, that were anti-bullying environments and supported those environments. I created collaborative spaces where students could learn, because that was my job, to educate students.
So this idea that, and I was a pretty good teacher, and I don't care how good you are, you can't make nobody gay. I don't know what they think they're talking about, but you're not that good. None of you. You're not going to make somebody be something, but what you do have a responsibility to make sure that they can learn. So creating those safe environments is your job.
Creating places where students can learn is your job, not engaging in these culture wars and making our schools and educational institutions places, battlegrounds for these culture wars. You're before us today for the programs that you created in your district, which I'm sure had local input, which I'm sure the parents supported and wanted, and you're being asked to defend those positions, which I'm sure were rooted in evidence, grounded in the law, and reflective of the values of your community. This committee talks all the time about decisions should be made at the local level, but I guess that's only if they like the decisions that you make at the local level. Because I'm sure the programs that you have in San Francisco were not done without the input of your local community. This committee is spending time hauling you before Congress to answer for your diversity programs, while we've had zero hearings, not one, in this Congress or the last, on school shootings that are killing children in our classrooms.
Zero hearings on chronic absenteeism. Zero hearings on the mental health crisis that we're facing and the 12 billion dollars in funding that has been cut by this administration from proposed programs that serve students. No hearings on how we can infuse the teacher pipeline so that you have the qualified educators in front of those students in your communities. And that is a choice. It is very deliberate.
And if there is anything I can say to you before my time runs out and I ask the one question that I can ask, do not buy into the bull. You know what you do. You're good at what you do. Do not be intimidated by this committee. Do not come in here and change your values or your positions because you know who you work for, and it is the parents and the students in your community.
It's probably a reason why he won't be here next Congress. Can you, Dr. King, just in the few minutes, the few seconds that I have left, describe the impact of the Black Student Success programs that were created and what do you think will happen if those are taken away? How has that helped in the school district?
So I appreciate you all coming here and suffering through this.
Creg Williams
The Black Student Success Plan is a plan that was constructed with community. It was hundreds of community members and it is a resource and targeted plan to support students that have been historically and systematically void of opportunity.
So you didn't come up with this all by yourself.
Exactly.
The community asked for this.
The community worked with you to create this.
Speaker 54
Gentlelady yields. I now recognize the gentleman from Missouri, Dr. Under.
Speaker 53
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding this very important hearing. Questions for, first of all, Ms. King. Do you believe that biological men should be allowed in locker rooms with biological women? It's a yes or no question.
Creg Williams
With all due respect, I'm here to respond to the policies of Chicago Public Schools and our operations.
Speaker 53
And is it the, is it the policy of Chicago Public Schools to forbid biological men, boys to go into locker rooms with biological girls?
Creg Williams
The Chicago Public Schools policy is in alignment with Illinois law.
Speaker 58
Yes or no? Do, can boys and men go into girls' locker rooms in the Chicago Public Schools? Yes or no?
Speaker 57
I take that as a yes. Dr. Spence, yes or no, should biological men be allowed in locker rooms with biological women or girls?
Speaker 57
Ah, that's a yes. So biological men should be able to go into locker rooms and shower rooms with biological girls. Thank you.
Federal law requires it, yes.
No, it doesn't.
Yes, it does.
Speaker 51
No, Title IX does not, in fact, quite the opposite. Title IX requires you to protect women and girls.
Can I respond?
Speaker 57
Dr. Su, should biological men or women, you gave me the yes, you answered my question. Dr. Su, should biological men be allowed in locker rooms and shower rooms with biological girls and women?
Speaker 49
So you allow, I mean, do you have the same interpretation of federal law as Dr. Spence, that men should be allowed in shower rooms and locker rooms with biological girls and women?
Speaker 49
I take that as a yes as well. Dr. Spence, do you believe that we should, quote, weed out texts whose language is not gender neutral and free of stereotypes?
Aaron Spence
I get very concerned when we talk about weeding out any texts. I think a variety of perspectives are important.
Speaker 49
Okay, because back in 2014, that sounds like censorship, right, weeding out texts? But back in 2014, when you were superintendent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools, you tweeted out a picture of the ABCs of Diversity poster. The W encouraged teachers to weed out texts whose language is not gender neutral and free of stereotypes. Do you still believe that?
Aaron Spence
I think I responded. I think that we should have a variety of texts and a variety of perspectives available to our students to read.
Speaker 56
Do you still believe in weeding out, let's say, I don't know, To Kill a Mockingbird, Heart of Darkness, The Odyssey, The Iliad, Cicero?
Of course not.
Speaker 49
Okay, good. Do, Ms. Su, the nonprofit Teachers for Social Justice recently rented out a space in San Francisco's McCoppin High School to hold ethnic study, an ethnic studies, actually, I take that back. Ms. Su, I have a different question for you. In Mirabella v. Bonta, the US Supreme Court blocked California policy prohibiting schools from notifying parents about students' gender change, gender change without the child's consent. What policy changes has the San Francisco Unified School District made to respect parents' rights as enunciated in Mirabella v. Bonta?
Mirabella v. Bonta.
Maria Su
Yes. First of all, I'm not a lawyer, but what we are doing, to the best of my knowledge at San Francisco Unified School District, is adjust our practices and ensure that our teachers and educators understand the change in the law and to make sure that we adjust our practices to be in compliance.
Maria Su
Parents, we believe that parents are our students' first teacher. We strive to create really strong lines of communication with families.
Speaker 53
Thank you. Likewise, Ms. King, in CPS's gender support plan, it's very clear that gender transition will be hidden from parents. What changes is Chicago Public Schools making to align with parents' rights as enunciated by the Supreme Court in Mirabella v. Bonta?
Creg Williams
We value parents as a vital part of our educational community and we do not hide information from parents, and it is our, it is our hope that when a student is transitioning that the parent, the families, the student, the families, and the school would all be in communication.
Do you notify the parents?
Creg Williams
We communicate with parents in compliance with the Illinois state law.
Speaker 53
What about with the US Supreme Court and the Constitution of the United States?
The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Chairman, I have a unanimous consent request.
What's the request?
Speaker 49
The request is to submit a document, Chicago Public Schools' gender support plan for transgender and gender non-conforming students, which, at least at the time it was promulgated, would hide the gender status of children from their parents.
Tim Walberg
Without objection, it will be received. Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize Representative Lee from Pennsylvania for her five minutes of questioning.
Summer Lee
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since other members of Congress aren't allowed to waive onto this hearing, even when their superintendent is being subpoenaed, I would start by asking unanimous consent to enter a letter into the record from the Chicago delegation expressing their concern about weaponizing oversight and federal education funding to target diverse student bodies and attack the school districts and educators seeking to effectively meet their needs.
Summer Lee
I often wonder if you all will ever get tired of just bad faith, divisive hearings. The answer is no, because it butters your bread, and as long as your donors continue to contribute, you will continue to tear families and children apart. Targeting children is particularly ridiculous. But as we know, this hearing is trying to legitimize a dangerous idea of what equitable and inclusive education looks like. Conservatives want us to see the definition of equity so they can weaponize it against policies that simply give kids a fair shot.
Our country established equity policies like IDEA to give children with disabilities an equal education, and policies like Title IX to end unequal treatment based on sex, and forced court rulings on desegregation so that Black kids could attend the same schools and have the same quality of education as white kids.
I feel like I have to say this a lot in this committee, but equity policies are necessary to reverse harm caused by systemic discrimination, discrimination that was enacted by policies passed in this room. So-called parents' rights groups want you to believe so badly that expanding access for marginalized children comes at the expense of children who already have all of their needs met. Equity policies are only a threat if your ideals are grounded in white supremacy, if your ideals come from the executive orders of an aspiring authoritarian who posts AI pictures of himself as Jesus or threatens to kill entire civilizations on social media and wants to give billions of our tax dollars to insurrectionists. Let's be clear. This administration's Department of Education already tried to ban diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
It didn't work. They lost the case. So now Republicans are forcing school superintendents before this committee to scare them into compliance, compliance with discriminatory policies and a chilled educational environment that caters to the demands of a vocal minority. Hearings like this are trying to make an example of districts that want all kids, irrespective, not because of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, disability status, language, immigration status. And they're counting on the fact that other superintendents and teachers across the country will be intimidated and comply in advance.
But when you legislate from a place of actually wanting children to have a quality education where kids are safe and seen, you don't have to rely on fear tactics. Mr. Smith, your testimony points out that students of color make up more than half of students enrolled in public school, one in four high school students identify as LGBTQI+, one in ten students are English learners, 15% of students receive special education services. Diversity is just a factual description of students our schools serve, you said. Are conservative parents' rights movements a reaction to the simple fact of the increasing diversity in public schools?
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question. You know, I can't obviously speak for the motivations of any other person. But what I can say is that we have made tremendous progress as a country to make sure that the doors of opportunity are open to every person regardless of their race, regardless of their sex, regardless of their gender identity. And the reality is that that's something that we should embrace, that's something that we should celebrate, and something that makes our democracy stronger. And anyone who doesn't see that, I think undermines public education and undermines our democracy.
Summer Lee
Your testimony also states that our public education system provides young people the critical foundation needed to be full participants in our multiracial democracy and competitive in the global economy. What happens when that critical foundation is undermined by discriminatory policies and other politicized attacks that drain school budgets?
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question. You know, there is ample research that shows that there are real and substantial consequences where students are exposed to exclusionary policies, that academic performance goes down, that dropout rates go up, that engagement goes down. And I will note that the research shows that that doesn't just apply to students of color or LGBTQ students. It applies to all students. All students benefit when each student is included and affirmed.
Summer Lee
Thank you. I agree with the research. Equity and inclusion policies are fundamental to protecting students' right to a quality education. An administration that relies on fearmongering and that dismantles the very federal agency responsible for educational equity threatens protections for those least able to defend themselves. And let's be clear.
Reserving a quality education for those only to those who already have every advantage isn't just a byproduct of authoritarianism, it's a prerequisite for it. But we will fight back because our kids deserve better than this, and we can and we will give them better than this. I believe that some among us are here for all children because we recognize how important it is for our democracy, for our government, and for our future. I thank you all so much for your time and I yield back.
Tim Walberg
The gentlelady yields, and I recognize the gentleman from North Carolina, Mr. Harris.
Mark Harris
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I thank all of you who are serving on the panel today. Dr. Spence, as I'm sure you know, in May of 2021, a boy entered a women's bathroom at Stonebridge High School and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl. The chairman in his opening statement alluded to this. The boy was wearing a skirt according to the survivor's family, a claim that was never contested by the boy's family. And you might think that the school immediately would have called law enforcement and had the boy arrested, but again, that's not what happened.
Police were called for one person, and that was Scott Smith, the survivor's father, who went to the school's main office and was irate that the district wasn't initially involving law enforcement over his daughter's assault. So I would first ask you, Mr. Spence, on behalf of the Loudoun County Public Schools, would you like to apologize to Mr. Smith this morning?
Aaron Spence
Anytime a child is assaulted, it's a horrific thing, and that was predating my tenure, but what I would say is of course we would involve law enforcement, of course we would enforce our policies. Our policies and law do not contemplate that something like this should or could happen to our students, and if it does, we have to react immediately and appropriately and we would.
Mark Harris
I recognize you weren't superintendent in 2021, but can you maybe tell us what policy changes have you or the Loudoun County Public Schools put in place to prevent tragedies like this from happening again?
Aaron Spence
I think it is a matter in Loudoun County Public Schools of ensuring that the policies that we have are followed, that the law is followed. I know that we have restructured our Title IX office since that time. Other than that, it is a matter of ensuring that we enforce our policies and we follow the law and that we engage directly with our parents and our law enforcement partners when incidents like these come up and we provide support to our families and to our students that need it.
Mark Harris
Well, as appalling as the incident was at Stonebridge High School, I think all of America is recognizing that incidents like this are happening across the country. And it's personal to me because we're seeing the same concerns in my own congressional district. Parents in Cabarrus County raised serious concerns about biological males entering girls' bathrooms and locker rooms in two local high schools. And the reports that my office received were deeply disturbing, and I didn't know anything else to do but to take them directly to the Department of Education. And I will say I'm grateful to Secretary McMann and the Department of Education for taking quick action and they have opened a Title IX investigation into Cabarrus County Schools so we can prevent sexual assault situations from happening and address the concerns of parents and students.
While we're on this same avenue, Dr. Spence, back in 2024, it was found through public records requests that you missed a month of that school year for several taxpayer-funded trips. I think it reported you were in Miami, Puerto Rico, San Diego, and Richmond. You went on four trips in three months. During your trip to Richmond, although it caught my attention, it was reported that Loudoun County Public Schools did not immediately tell parents about a string of student overdoses, some including fentanyl. And according to the sheriff's office, 11 Park View High School students overdosed, became Loudoun County Public Schools' biggest school safety crisis since the two sexual assaults back in 2021.
As a result of your failure to notify parents of these overdoses, I understand Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order to immediately notify parents of overdoses.
Governor Youngkin also had an amendment that would require schools to notify parents within 24 hours of student overdoses. And although the amendment passed unanimously in the state Senate, House Democrats in Virginia blocked the amendment. It seems like it would be common sense to notify families about student overdoses at schools so parents can discuss the incidents with their children. So I want to ask you, in the last minute, how soon after the student overdoses were you made aware of the situation?
Aaron Spence
When you say the student, the incident that you referred to back in 2024? So as soon as I became made aware of that, I put a team together in the school and we communicated to parents within that same three days after I understood exactly what had occurred. One of the challenges at that time, and thankfully because of some of the work that's been done in the legislature, we now have better clarification on what needs to be reported, is it's unclear to us when we have an overdose happening. So I'll give you an example of what I mean. If a student is transported medically out of our building, let's say that they have passed out and they're transported medically out of our building.
When they get to the hospital, we no longer have access to their medical records. They don't tell us what happened to the child. We just know that they passed out in our building. And then we were being told by law enforcement after the fact that they suspected overdoses. And as soon as the sheriff called me and communicated about that, I began working with our school and with our communication team to make sure that we were notifying our parents.
So much of what was reported was either distorted or factually inaccurate, including the number of overdoses that were happening in our schools versus those happening in our communities. I agreed with the legislation that went through the General Assembly. The only thing that I asked for, and that I think some Democrats maybe were asking for during that time...
Gentleman's time has expired.
If I could just finish this one thought.
Finish quickly.
Aaron Spence
Thank you. Was that this is a community issue, and I felt if we were going to be notifying parents of overdoses in our schools, that those who are responsible for tracking overdoses in our community should also be notifying our communities that that was happening.
Virginia Foxx
Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize the gentlelady from Arizona, Ms. Grijalva, for her five minutes.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank all of the witnesses for being here. I served on a school board for 20 years, and I know how difficult it is to be a superintendent. And so I know that you in your own communities have a school board that helps you in informing what the policies are going to be. You have state laws that govern that as well.
And in the time that I have been here and I've been watching online, I've seen your jobs are so difficult and challenging and rewarding all at the same time. The harassment that you have all experienced here is completely unacceptable. So I would like to apologize to you for how you have been treated by some of these members. You represent an incredibly diverse student body. 90% of the students in my district in Arizona attend public schools, and I'm sure that those numbers are similar in your communities.
So thank you for all you continue to do to support the children of our nation. So in Arizona's 7th Congressional District, families care deeply about children's success. When I speak to parents in Tucson, Yuma, Douglas, Nogales, and rural communities, they're not asking for book bans for our classrooms or to become ideological battlegrounds. They want safe schools, fully funded classrooms, and resources teachers need to help every student succeed. Unfortunately, this Congress has seen efforts to manufacture political controversy around our schools and undermine programs that protect students' civil rights.
Too often, the language of parents' rights is used to divide communities and advance policies that would limit what students can learn, read, or discuss. These debates have real consequences. Last year, Tucson Unified School District faced the prospect of losing $6 million in federal funding.
Raúl Grijalva
It's to put... okay, I'm going to watch the time. I'll do it at the end. So, when schools are pulled into these culture wars, the costs are real, diverting billions nationally from classrooms and making it harder to recruit and retain educators. In Arizona, our diversity is our strength. We should be focused on academic recovery, chronic absenteeism, and student mental health, not attacking school leaders working to ensure every student feels safe, supported, and included.
Before I turn to questions, I want to share an experience of a young Arizonan. A non-binary student from Arizona described spending high school trying to avoid attention while using the locker room, arriving early, leaving late, and trying not to be noticed. After a parent publicly criticized the school's efforts to accommodate transgender students, the student felt humiliated and ultimately stopped participating in school sports. Whatever one's views on these policies, no student should feel so unwelcome that they give up opportunities to learn, compete, and belong. That brings me to my first question.
Mr. Smith, the committee majority has spent most of this Congress promoting culture war bills such as HR 2616, Stop Indoctrination and Protect Kids Act, HR 7661, Stop Sexualization of Kids Act, and HR 8705, the Charlie Act. These bills are the majority's way of forcing conservative ideology into our public schools. The Republican don'ts include don't say trans, don't read diverse books, and don't acknowledge racism, and the list goes on. If these bills were to become law, what are some of the legal consequences you foresee for schools and districts?
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question. Before I answer that question, I just wanted to flag that there's a recent study that shows that three point two billion dollars have gone into defending, responding to exclusionary policies. That's three point two billion dollars that haven't gone to our students and to our schools to support them. But to answer your question, the reality is that policies that divide our students, that don't affirm them, that don't recognize them, lead to hostile learning environments, and those violate both Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments. So, having inclusive policies are not just good policy, they're required by law.
Raúl Grijalva
Thank you. Much of our public conversation about diversity initiatives in education assumes that rural communities are largely homogeneous, yet the data tells a very different story. People of color now make up twenty-four percent of rural America, and rural communities have seen growth in Black, Hispanic, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and disability populations. At the same time, research shows that teacher diversity has a profound impact on student outcomes. For example, disadvantaged Black male students who had a Black teacher in elementary school were significantly less likely to drop out and more likely to aspire to college.
As some diversity-focused programs face legal and political challenges like the ones you mentioned, how can we ensure that increasingly diverse rural student populations have access to inclusive learning environments, equal educational opportunity, and educators who can effectively serve and represent their communities? Anyone can answer.
Jonathan Smith
I would just flag that our civil rights laws don't depend on your geography. That no matter where you live, no matter the makeup of your community, everyone is entitled and the law requires a safe and secure learning environment.
Raúl Grijalva
I ask consent to enter into the record an article titled Tucson Unified School District facing a six million dollar in federal fund losses.
Thank you.
Did the gentlelady want to submit something for the record?
Thank you and I yield back.
Virginia Foxx
Gentlelady yields, I now recognize the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Messmer.
Christy Stutzman
Thank you Mr. Chairman. Dr. King, in May you approved an agreement for teachers and students to attend a so-called day of civic action. The Chicago Teachers Union said the day off was necessary because as was stated in their May Day resolution, public education is facing unprecedented national assault driven by MAGA Republicans. Your district even promised to provide buses and sack lunches to up to 100 schools. Dr. King, are you committed to making decisions like this fairly, without political bias and regardless of which party or politician that is being protested?
Creg Williams
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify the May 1st. That was a full day of instructional activity and our students did engage in civic activities whether in the school or across the district and it that is part of CPS's goals to ensure to engage students civically. We do have a department of civic engagement.
Christy Stutzman
Okay, well would you approve a similar request for teachers and students to attend March for Life and protest the evils of abortion?
Creg Williams
This was not a this was not a politically slanted event. The the day, the day of instruction. So curriculum was it was expansive and there were options the curriculum was decided at the school level and so were the field trips as well.
Christy Stutzman
Okay. The academic results produced by Chicago Public Schools are among the lowest at urban areas across the country. In 2024, 31% of fourth graders nationwide were at or above NAEP proficiency in literacy compared to only 23% of the CPS fourth graders. Similarly, 40% of the public school fourth graders were at or above proficiency in math while Chicago scored a measly 24%. Given academic results produced by CPS schools, increasing education options for families in Chicago is obviously urgent.
Would you approve a request for students to support school choice and and want to voice their desire via what you would call a protest in favor of more school options and greater educational freedom?
Creg Williams
CPS values school choice and parents' ability to choose the type of schools they would like for their child to attend. We have options public schools, we have district-led schools, charter schools, we have magnet schools for our parents to choose from as well as selective enrollment schools. So we do support school choice.
Christy Stutzman
Very good. Dr. King, after the 2025 Supreme Court case of Mahmoud versus Taylor, has CPS changed its policy to allow parents to opt out of LGBTQ+ curriculum for religious reasons?
Creg Williams
CPS is in is in compliance with the Illinois state law as far as the opt out of sexual education curriculum.
But are you following the Supreme Court decision?
Christy Stutzman
Okay, well I'll take that as a non-answer. Dr. Spence, have you do you allow parents to opt out for religious reasons for LGBTQ policy within your school district?
Thank you. Dr. Sue?
Yes we do.
Christy Stutzman
Okay, I don't think the websites for Dr. King or Dr. Sue reflect that to this point so you might want to update your schools' websites. Parents have every right to make decisions or at least express their views on what type of education their children are receiving in school. However, schools in in your district, Dr. Spence, are teachers are receiving school board terrorist training on how to handle parents expressing their views and even go so far as to call parents agitators and disruptors.
Dr. Spence, do you believe that parents have the right to express their views and have a seat at the table when deciding what their children are learning in your in your classrooms?
Aaron Spence
Of course I do, and if I could clarify, their teachers never received any such training. And I think what you're referring to is some reporting that our school board may have engaged in some training, which was also inaccurate. There was no training on parents as terrorists. Just to quickly clarify, under Virginia code, when a school board goes into closed session, part of the language of going into closed session is about terrorist activity. They read the language of going into closed session for the purpose of a safety and security training, and that reporter interpreted that as talking about parents as terrorists.
Absolutely untrue and false. Our parents are not terrorists. We work alongside our parents every day, and of course I support the right for our parents to talk with us about their concerns.
Christy Stutzman
Thank you. What steps are you taking to ensure that parents are allowed to speak on their beliefs without being labeled agitators?
Aaron Spence
I mean, frankly, we don't have to take steps. Our current policies and practices make sure that that's that that happens. We welcome public comment. Our school board receives more public comment, frankly, than any school board I've ever participated in in my 15 years as a superintendent, and they welcome it. And they and they value it, and they and they take that into account in their decision making.
Thank you. I yield back.
Virginia Foxx
Gentleman yields. I now recognize the gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Courtney.
Joe Courtney
Great. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to all the witnesses for being here today. Actually like to actually discuss for a moment a real education issue, which is that this morning the National Assessment for Educational Progress, which is housed at the Department of Education, released the long-term trend report data that the department points to when pushing for an agenda for Congress and for the executive branch. This is the first NAEP long-term trend report released since the Trump administration began making cuts to the Department of Education in 2025.
Those included laying off more than half the workers at the Institute of Education Sciences and also canceled about a dozen national and state assessments of student progress through 2032. And I think again the irony we just saw a moment ago where again one of my colleagues from the Republican side cited the NAEP report in terms of, you know, laying the the basis for a question. But we are now living in a moment where the administration is dismantling the infrastructure of the Department of Education and the NAEP program is included in that demolition that's that that's happening right now. So again I just sort of ask quick yes or no. I mean, do you think that the NAEP scores, which are sort of like headlights for our country in terms of just sort of seeing how student proficiency is progressing, is a valuable tool in terms of your your job and your mission?
And I'll start with you, Superintendent Sue.
Yes. Yes.
Superintendent Smith?
Aaron Spence
I mean, I think the the NAEP scores as a bellwether for the nation certainly are helpful in terms of understanding our trends.
Speaker 74
Oh, I think I asked... Sorry, I apologize. I thought you said Dr. Spence. I answered out of turn. I apologize.
That was Superintendent Smith. I'm not a superintendent, but I agree with your question and your statement.
Yes, thank you. And Dr. King.
Speaker 75
Yes. So again, the test results showed that younger kids this morning's test results showed that younger kids actually did show some signs of improvement. Middle school math scores kind of had plateaued and still below pre-pandemic. Again, part of the, you know, agenda that we're seeing from the administration is to collapse a lot of the grant programs that have been around for quite a while, including magnet schools, which was mentioned earlier, and putting it into a mega grant program, which would be sort of a, you know, battle or Thunderdome where competition in in terms of scarce dollars would be happening. Again, if we're going to really as a nation get serious about giving kids proficiency in math, I mean, is is that the right policy is just to again sort of create this Hunger Games in terms of federal assistance that I assume a lot of your school districts really rely on?
So again, I'll start with you, Dr. King.
Creg Williams
No, the best way to provide the supports that our students need is especially like in Chicago, a district as diverse, is to provide resources and support, targeted resources and support to students based on their need.
Great. Dr. Spence.
Aaron Spence
I think the federal government's role in education has always been to level the playing field for students, to provide school districts with resources to meet students who are traditionally struggling in our schools. Looking at, for example, our English learners, our special needs students, funding through Title I. I think that's an invaluable role and I think critical that not only the funding but the expertise that comes with that funding remain in place.
Great. And Mr. Sneth.
Speaker 79
Again, I'm not a superintendent, but what I will say is that federal law requires that school districts take steps to make sure that all students can succeed.
Maria Su
And I would concur with that. I would also strongly recommend that the federal government continue to support school districts to serve our children with special needs.
Speaker 75
Thank you. I mean, again, when we're talking about math scores, we're really talking about the 21st century right now in terms of the skills that young people are going to need to succeed in life. And to again watch an administration with no authority that's ever been granted by Congress to dissolve the Department of Education. That was created by an act of Congress in 1979 and we're here today where again just by, you know, this random decision making that's happening in the secretary's office, we're seeing programs just created with if anything at the least uncertainty and in some instances elimination that really as a country is really going to haunt us in the future in terms of where our workforce is going to be. So thank you all for the great work that you do and for your testimony this morning.
I yield back.
The gentleman yields. I now recognize the gentleman from Florida, Mr. Fine.
Randy Fine
Thank Mr. Chairman. I want to start with Chicago. You spend 55% more per student than the national average and since 2019 you've increased your bureaucrats by 15% while your student enrollment has dropped by 9%. So massive increase in employment. Despite that, whether it's fourth graders or juniors, only one in four of your students is proficient.
So my question for you is this. You said that May 1st event was not a politically slated event. That's the quote that you said. But I have right here the permission slip that folks were expected to sign. And the permission slip says students will engage in political advocacy.
So do you want to change your testimony to this committee about it not being a politically slated event?
Creg Williams
No, I do not. I'm not familiar with the field trip that you're holding up.
Speaker 84
Will you commit to investigate this permission slip where the parents had to sign something saying you're going to a will engage in political advocacy? Will you commit to investigate this and hold them responsible since you represented to us it was not a politically slated event?
I will commit.
Speaker 82
Great. Next thing I want to do. Since again you don't seem to know what happened on that day, here is one of the non-politically slated events. This is a student, one of your students, transported on a taxpayer-funded bus equating the President of the United States with Hitler. The sign literally says the Trump fascist regime must go now.
Would that qualify as not a politically slated event that this student went to during class time when he should have been learning? This is not a politically slated event?
I'm not aware of that student and that poster being connected to the... Okay, then let me ask you this. If it were, if you grant that what I'm saying is true, I understand you're going to plead ignorant, but if what I'm stating is true, would this be a politically slated event? We do not support or condone... That's not my question.
Would this be a politically slated event? Would the information you gave to the committee be incorrect? Maybe you didn't know, I'll grant that, but would you agree if what I'm saying is true that the information that you gave to this committee was false? If what you're saying is true and what's reported, Chicago Public Schools would investigate. Great.
And will you commit to investigate this as well? I'm not familiar with that report. Will you... will you commit to looking into it? If you could give me more details. We will.
All right, great. I'm going to take that as a yes. I want to move on to Loudoun County Public Schools. Um, do you use, Dr. Spence, do you use the women's restroom?
Of course not. Why not? Because I would never use a woman's restroom. I'm a... I'm a male. Because you're a man.
Wow, that's a great thing. So why do you think men should be able to use the restroom in Loudoun County Public Schools? I don't. Okay, but they do. They do and we've got incident over and over...
Look, I could say I'm an NBA athlete, that doesn't make it true. You allow men to use the women's restroom over and over and over again. And you can argue insanely whether that's okay or not, but I have a question. In 2025, you had an issue where a man went into or a woman went into the restroom and three boys that were there were unhappy about it because they were being recorded. The... initially the boys got in trouble, the girl who was pretending to be a boy did not.
Why did the girl pretending to be a boy who filmed boys in their restroom, why was there no discipline for that student? Why did the people complaining about the girl coming into the boy's room get in trouble but not the girl who was filming? Not even saying whether they should go in the bathroom or not, but they were filming. It's on film. Why did that student not get in trouble?
Sure. So, um, challenging for me to discuss the specifics of an in... but if you'll allow, challenging for me to discuss the specifics of individual student discipline, as... as you would understand, but I'm going to say broadly two things. One, uh, what you've stated is factually inaccurate. Did the... did the girl not film the students? That's wrong?
There was no filming? That's not... that's not what I'm saying. But I'm asking. Was... was a student filming other students and is that allowed in your school district? Let me say this broadly, in general.
Our policies do not prevent f... do not permit filming in our restrooms. Okay, so when a student did it, why did that student not suffer any disciplinary conduct for doing that? Again, factually inaccurate. What I would say is our policies... So you're saying that student was disciplined for filming those other students?
I'm... I'm not going to talk about specifics. Understood. I wouldn't talk about it either if I was you. Here's my other question. The three boys got in trouble initially.
Two of the boys were Christian, one of the boys was Muslim. Magically, the third boy, the Muslim boy, charges dropped, the two Christian boys were persecuted. How did you justify that decision? So I'd like to ask if I'm going to be allowed... No, you don't get to ask.
I have 16 seconds left. I think the testimony that we've heard here from all of you is a disgrace. And... and what I take away from this hearing is thank God I live in Florida where thanks to me and the Florida legislature, our parents and our students don't have to put up with the garbage that they do in your school districts. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.
Tim Walberg
Gentleman yields. I now recognize the gentleman from California, Mr. DeSaulnier.
Mark DeSaulnier
I'd like to start with Mr. Spence, do you want to respond, take a little of my time to respond to any of the previous comments?
Aaron Spence
I appreciate that. And... and I'll try to be brief. I... I just, uh, want to communicate clearly. We have very clear policies that would prevent filming a students in our bathrooms. We have very clear policies that prevent things like bullying students, very clear policies that prevent assaults, very clear policies around discipline.
What I would say is that when students violate those policies, discipline is applied appropriately. What I would also say is the opposite: we would not discipline students absent a violation of those policies.
Speaker 87
Thank you. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from the San Francisco Parents Coalition in support of Superintendent Su.
Speaker 85
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I want to read a quote from that letter. Dr. Su has earned the trust of San Francisco's schools' families through her steady leadership, transparency, and unwavering focus on children. She has shown up for our community through difficult circumstances, made hard decisions with integrity, and built genuine partnerships with parents across the city. We are proud to stand behind her. Dr. Su, I know you're having trouble and having just cut over laryngitis, but I want to just give you a moment.
Family engagement centers are something that I've been very active in along with my colleague on the other side, Representative Thompson. I think it's about 150 million dollars a year. We know students do better when their parents are engaged. I have an older brother who's a retired teacher from San Francisco, but for the Archdiocese, who is in a proud same-sex marriage for many years. Family engagement in San Francisco, you do well, but you do it as representative from a very diverse city.
Could you respond to that and how positive it is for academic outcomes?
Maria Su
Thank you for the opportunity to share the really wonderful work and partnership that we have with our families at SFUSD. We firmly believe that parents are our students' first teacher, and because of that, we try to build a very strong line of communication with our families. We partner very closely with families from the start of the school year in which we share with families all of the different programs and services that we have in the school district, as well as all the partner programs that we have that students and families have access to. We actually have something very similar in San Francisco called the Family Resource Center, in which families can come as early as birth to learn about just different ways that they can support their children. And so we firmly believe that families and partnership with families is very important for students' long-term academic success.
Speaker 87
Appreciate that. Mr. Smith, 20% CDC 2024 report said that about 20% of American students are prone to suicidal ideation. It's higher for African Americans, Hispanics, and LGBTQ, but we're not providing enough support for those communities. Could you respond to that? We know that if we gave the counseling, we could improve these outcomes so young people could develop fully, but also address a real serious issue as opposed to what we're doing today.
Jonathan Smith
Thank you for the question. I had previously mentioned that 3.2 billion dollars have gone into having to deal with exclusionary policies. So that means that 3.2 billion dollars hasn't gone into providing mental health support, hasn't gone into making sure that students have what they need to succeed, hasn't gone into making sure our classrooms are safe and supporting environments for all students.
Speaker 87
So let me ask the superintendents just briefly: if we had the money we promised when Gerald Ford signed IDEA, and this is one of the protected classes the Department of Education is supposed to protect, what could you do with that as opposed to spending money on silly things like this? Maybe Dr. Su, you could start.
Speaker 92
We would be able to fully fund and support all of our obligations for special ed services, as well as wrap-around mental health and well-being supports for all of our students.
Speaker 90
And now, right now, our percentage is about 10%. We're supposed to pay 40%. Is that correct?
That's correct.
Dr. King?
Creg Williams
I would agree. We would be able to support all of our students, especially our students with, receive special education services, our students that are in need of second language services as well, and for any other group of students that we identify based on NAEP data as well to provide support, targeted support.
Speaker 87
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would suggest if we both, if we all spent more time on those issues rather than this silliness, we would do a lot of good work for American students. I yield back.
Virginia Foxx
I thank the gentleman. I recognize the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Grothman.
Glenn Grothman
Thank you. First of all, I think I got to correct some things, just people are listening to this hearing. At least in Wisconsin, the city which has the highest number of students of color, whatever, is the city of Milwaukee. And in Milwaukee, they are one of the highest spending districts in the state. My guess would be, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, that on a per-pupil basis, I bet Chicago is significantly higher spending than the average school district in Illinois.
Is that true? I talked to other congressmen about this, and it's not unusual that some of the biggest spending districts are the big urban districts.
Creg Williams
I'm not one, I can't say with certainty that that's true, but it sounds accurate.
Speaker 93
Right. I think like Mr. Fine said, and we have that information here, they're spending more than 10,000. I guess the reason I bring it up is some of the congressmen in the past implied that somehow maybe test scores are not being that good is because society isn't putting enough resources into these districts. I'd like to point out we put a lot of resources in the big districts. Now one can argue what they're doing with their money.
I have my own personal opinion how the Milwaukee Public School Board manages to get no value out of what they do. But I do want to point out that I think Milwaukee and Chicago spend significantly more than average, and society cannot be blamed for the problems that are out there. The next thing I want to touch upon, and I guess this is for you, Dr. King, again. The Chicago Public Schools' sexual health policy requires schools serving fifth grade and up must make condoms available to 12-year-olds. I also know of other public school districts in which they talk about putting or having women take contraceptives as being a good, responsible thing to do.
I would assume there are people in the Chicago public school system who would be a little bit appalled if they found out that their fifth-grade girl was taking contraceptives or that their fifth-grader was using a condom. I think that would probably be opposed by almost anybody with a religious bent. Do you think it's appropriate to send the message to young people in the Chicago schools that sexual activity among 12-year-olds or 13-year-olds is appropriate, or do you think it would be opposed by, my guess is, a clear majority of the parents of the children in Chicago public schools?
Creg Williams
I stated earlier as a parent, I would definitely want to have that conversation with my, with my child. And I know that the sexual education curriculum is available for, or the resources you're referring to, grades 5 through 12. And those resources are very much like any other targeted resource. They're there for those students that may need them, and that is in compliance with the Illinois state law.
Speaker 91
I'm sure it's in compliance with the Illinois state law. The question though is do you believe a significant number of parents would object to that value system that's being imparted in Chicago public schools?
Creg Williams
I can't speak specifically for parents but I can say that I have not heard from any parents um and that um are in opposition to the curriculum and the resources being made available.
Speaker 93
Okay. Thank you. Next question we have is for Dr. Hsu. In June of 2024 because of a public records request from defending from defending education it uncovered professional development documents from SFUSD defining and criticizing characteristics of white supremacy culture. I have never heard of white supremacy culture.
I don't know anybody who believes that but the fact that you have it out there in the San Francisco schools implies you think there's such a thing as white supremacy culture. Can you give us a little 30 seconds on what white what you believe white supremacy culture is? Or do you believe is it a problem in San Francisco?
Maria Su
The the incident that you're referring to happened before my time as a superintendent. I've joined the school district 18 months ago as superintendent of San Francisco and I've spent my time focused on serving the 49,000 students that we serve.
Speaker 93
Okay. Thank you. Just one final comment. In my district I think I have a significant number of people of a Hmong background who are succeeding wildly well. Some people from India got a little mosque of people from from Pakistan.
One thing I notice is that it seems the immigrants particularly the immigrants of color do far more than the native born. And it bothers me given that we have school districts imparting to the kids some idea that we have that it's difficult or we are mistreating people from areas other than Europe in this country.
Ilhan Omar
Thank the gentleman. His time has expired and I recognize the gentlelady from Minnesota Ms. Omar.
Thank you Chairman. I want to talk about the Republicans' long-standing battle against policies of equity equality and their absolute refusal to acknowledge the events of history that are impacting us today. Conservatives would have us believe that tragic policy disasters like school segregation are a relic of the past. But here are the facts. Republicans have found that researchers have found that in 100 largest school districts segregation of white and black students has increased by 64% since 1988.
I know this well because of my home state of Minnesota has developed some of the largest racial gaps in the country. The Twin Cities has 182 deeply segregated schools where more than 90% of the students are non-white. As a result it has the third largest black achievement gap and fourth largest Latino gap compared to their white peers. And these gaps have a ripple effect that echo through the lives of our nation's students. Students in segregated schools are more likely to drop out not to go to college and earning less often in their lifetimes.
They also have higher rates of incarceration and poor health.
It doesn't have to be this way. This is why it is so insidious that Republicans want to ignore how we got here. Because I know my history. I know that after Brown versus Board, but before Title VI, states continued segregating schools by denying funding, rerouting public dollars to create private schools for white children. I know it was only with the dedicated enforcement of civil rights laws that we began to see the promise of equal opportunities.
And I know that over the past decades, we began to move away from prioritizing school desegregation and towards privatization. And now we have the Republican Party that is eager to repeat that history. We are again seeing the rerouting of public dollars to private schools. We're again seeing the Department of Education that refuses to address civil rights of black students. And we are now dealing with an administration that has turned Title VI into a weapon against the very civil rights programs it was created to enforce.
Mr. Smith, I have a hypothetical question for you. If a school district has the data showing that black students are disciplined more than white students for the same behavior, or that black students are systematically tracked away from advanced courses, and the district does nothing in response, is that district in compliance with Title VI?
Jonathan Smith
Definitely not. When I was at the Justice Department, we actually released guidance to make it clear that such policies would violate federal law.
Ilhan Omar
Thank you. Does ignoring a documented racial disparity make a school district legally safe or legally exposed?
Jonathan Smith
School districts are legally required to make sure that all students, including students of color, have an opportunity to learn and succeed.
Ilhan Omar
If the federal government then turns around and attacks that school district's policy to correct this disparity, what does that tell you about the administration's civil rights priorities?
Jonathan Smith
It tells me that they have weaponized, as you just said, that they have weaponized our civil rights laws against the very communities that they were designed to serve.
Ilhan Omar
Thank you so much. Since Republicans are so focused on parental rights, and I will say we as parents who have school children always have the right, we always have the right to decide what information our kids are receiving. If you do not want your children in sex ed, you are the parent who signs that off. Dr. King, am I right or wrong? Do parents have the permission slip where they sign if their kids can attend those classes?
Creg Williams
You are absolutely right. Parents have access to the curriculum in advance, they're notified, and they have the right to opt out.
Ilhan Omar
Yes, because I have opted my kids out, because I am the kind of parent that wants to have the responsibility of educating my kids about the kind of information they should receive. And so this idea that we continuously argue about the fact that parents are losing their rights in these school districts is ridiculous. And it is wrong, it's falsehood, it's creating panic, and it's giving people the information that is wrong from the leaders of this country. And this Republican Party needs to stop with the misinformation that they are constantly providing because it is not making us better, it is not making us more educated, and it is not making our kids more safe. Thank you and I yield back.
Virginia Foxx
The gentlelady yields and I now recognize the gentleman from California, Mr. Kiley.
Kevin Kiley
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Superintendent Hsu, thank you for being with us today. I've been pretty critical of San Francisco Unified in the past, but I actually think there's been some encouraging changes lately and you're relatively new to your role, so I thought maybe you could shine some light on that. But just for the context, back in 2022, there was a pretty remarkable event where the majority of the board of San Francisco Unified was recalled from office, or at least three members were recalled from office with over 70% of the vote in San Francisco.
And so there were a lot of issues. This was during the school shutdowns when San Francisco Unified was shut down as long as basically any district in the country. While they were refusing to operate and open schools when schools across America were open, the board was focused on things like renaming schools, such as taking Abraham Lincoln and Dianne Feinstein's name off of school sites. You also had a budget situation that was deteriorating to the point where the state actually had to take over spending decisions for the district. There was a decision made to ban algebra from middle schools under a deeply misguided notion of equity.
There were persistent achievement gaps within the district. Literacy had been taught in a discredited scientific basis for years. And then there was a homegrown so-called ethnic studies curriculum that was widely condemned for antisemitism and for glorifying violence. But there have been some very good changes on all of those items in recent years. So maybe we can start with algebra.
Are we teaching algebra again in San Francisco Unified?
Maria Su
Yes, we are. So yes, we brought back algebra for our eighth grade students who meet the qualifications for it.
Maria Su
Well, I spent, so I just became superintendent for the last 18 months, and I've spent a lot of time talking to our educators, to our young people, and to families. And parents overwhelmingly wanted to have algebra come back, wanted to make sure that our school district was delivering academically rigorous classes and programs for our students to set them up for success. And that is what we did. So last year, we went through a multi-year evaluation process to identify the best way for us to bring algebra back, and this is what we did with our board.
Speaker 98
That's great. And this ethnic studies program that many objected to, it's not being taught anymore?
Maria Su
That's also correct. Again, when I came on, when I came in as superintendent 18 months ago, I also listened to families, listened to parents and our educators, and we moved quickly, I moved quickly to remove the previous ethnic studies curriculum and again went through a rigorous evaluation process and identified a new curriculum, and that is the curriculum that we are currently using.
Kevin Kiley
Well, thank you for doing that. And literacy, we're teaching phonics again?
Maria Su
Yes, we also have modernized and brought in state standard, state aligned curriculum for language arts and math and history and social science. As I shared earlier, we are seeing for the first time in a decade statistically significant improvements in our students' reading scores.
Maria Su
That's also correct. We are now, we have now moved from a negative certification from the state of California to now into a self-certified positive state, meaning that we actually have the resources to pay for our funds for this year and two additional years. We have a balanced budget for three years. That means that there's more stability for our families, more stability for our students, and definitely more stability for our educators.
Kevin Kiley
Well, it sounds like things are on the right track. And how about Abraham Lincoln, does he still get to have a school named after him?
Maria Su
We have a fantastic high school called Abraham Lincoln High School, in which I actually had the pleasure of graduating several hundred students from that school this past week.
Kevin Kiley
Well, congratulations to all the graduates. I, you know, I love San Francisco. I think the city's had a lot of problems, the district had a lot of problems, but I think on both counts we've seen big improvements in recent years, and so I think that's something to celebrate. There's still probably plenty that I disagree with, but I think these are really good, important steps. So, thank you for your leadership, and I hope that it can set an example for perhaps some other districts across California and the country.
I yield back.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentleman. I recognize the gentlelady from Illinois, Ms. Miller, for her five minutes of questioning.
Mary Miller
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As the only representative from Illinois on this committee, I have watched Chicago Public Schools fail generations of children while district administrators collect some of the highest salaries in public education. Last year, Dr. King told CBS she was entering her position as superintendent with, quote, "a sense of transparency and accountability." Yet this committee was forced to subpoena her testimony after repeated requests were met with vague and evasive excuses. Dr. King, transparency and accountability shouldn't require a subpoena.
CPS has shown it is far more interested in sidelining parents and advancing radical gender ideology than ensuring students can read, write, and perform math at grade level. Beginning as early as first grade, Chicago students are required to take lessons on gender identity. By fifth grade, students are being instructed on puberty blockers. CPS's own, quote, "Supporting Gender Diversity Toolkit" encourages teachers to socially transition children at school while keeping parents in the dark. One CPS teacher lamented that it was the most unethical aspect of her career.
Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record an article dated August 23rd, 2021, from defendinged.org entitled "Chicago Public Schools Require Teachers to Deceive Parents About Their Children's Newly Declared Gender Identities."
Speaker 102
Thank you. It is clear that teachers and parents who hold traditional views on marriage, family, and sexuality are expected to fall in line with the district's preferred ideology. So, Dr. King, I'd like to ask you about parental rights and inappropriate content in your schools. In fact, America First Legal filed complaints with the Department of Justice and Education alleging FERPA violations. Why is CPS violating FERPA by socially transitioning children without parental knowledge or consent?
Creg Williams
I want to say first that Chicago Public Schools values parents' input and they are critical in the success of their children.
Mary Miller
Okay, but hiding things from parents is not valuing the parents. But please answer the question.
Creg Williams
We do not hide information from parents and I do want to say that...
Creg Williams
We follow, I understand that parent, I do agree that parents should have access to their, they always have access to their students' records. And they also have the option to, they are available, they are able to talk to their teachers, administrators. We do not hide information. I think what you're referring to is the balance that CPS has to strike between student privacy and then complying with the Illinois state law. And it is, it is our goal to always work with our students' families and schools.
We hope that those conversations are happening.
Speaker 103
Okay. I this is why you're being investigated for violating FERPA. Why is CPS violating Title IX by issuing guidance that allows boys in female-only spaces?
Speaker 102
This is a huge national issue. This is a bipartisan issue. Americans do not want males, boys, or men in the girls' private spaces or their athletics. President Trump issued an executive order on it. Chicago Public School is violating Title IX by issuing guidance that allows boys in female-only spaces.
I'm sure you're familiar with the Supreme Court's Mahmoud decision that allows parents to opt their children out of reading LGBTQ and then you guys all say IA2S+ themed storybooks in elementary classrooms. Your district's quote supporting gender diversity toolkit makes no mention of Mahmoud or its protections for parents. Why is CPS omitting Mahmoud in its public-facing materials?
Speaker 102
Yes, but you are for the parents. You are not in your public-facing materials, you are not informing parents that they can opt out of these programs. And I do believe parents are unfortunately the last to know when there's creepy things done like this in the schools. These curriculums are clearly in violation of President Trump's executive order to end radical indoctrination in public schools. When will CPS come into compliance with President Trump's order and stop teaching hyper-sexualized curriculum?
Creg Williams
CPS is in compliance with all local, state, and binding federal law. And I do want to say that our parents are our schools are led by parents. We're the only the only parent-governing board, local school councils, and it is at the local school councils.
Speaker 108
It is a fact that you are hiding materials from the parents and you're going to have to answer for your FERPA violations. Thank you and I yield back.
Lisa McClain
Gentlelady yields. I now recognize the gentlelady from Michigan, Ms. McClain.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank y'all for being here today. Really appreciate your time. I think we all want our our the next generation to grow up in a good safe environment, correct? Anyone disagree? Okay.
Mr. Spencer, Dr. Spencer, excuse me, I'd like to start with you. Can you share with me what your school's policy is on videotaping in private spaces?
Yes, that's that's not allowed.
Speaker 116
I mean, there's a range of punishments up to and including long-term suspension.
Give me some ranges.
Speaker 113
Sure, as I said, in-school suspension, long-term suspension, up to and leading expulsion, just depends on case-by-case basis what's occurred.
Speaker 114
What's what's the criteria that you would use to determine the punishment?
Aaron Spence
So we would we would look at sort of from a progressive discipline standpoint, what, for example, what was videotaped, whether or not.
Speaker 107
Again, it's nothing's acceptable in terms of videotaping. Students aren't supposed to have access to devices in.
Speaker 112
Okay. So you have a policy like no videotaping allowed whatsoever, right, of other students, correct?
Correct.
Speaker 111
Could you ever see a realm where people that got videotaped would be the actual like perpetrator, the people that actually were videotaped were the problem? Could you ever see that being a problem?
So I think no. Well, I now know where you're going with this. No.
Speaker 110
Good. Thank you. Let me ask you a couple questions then.
I appreciate that. Let's go on to a specific instance that happened in May 2025. Three boys at Stonebridge High School complained to the administrators that after they were filmed by a biological female in the boys' locker room, which you clearly stated is unacceptable and you can't see a scenario that that would be a problem. Could you tell me what your school's response was to that?
Speaker 118
So I'm, and I know this is going to be frustrating to you, but I'm not going to speak on the specifics of any individual student.
Speaker 121
It's not going to be frustrating to me, it's going to be frustrating to you. Okay, you want to speak some hypotheticals? If you don't want to speak specifics, that's cool. No, no, I'll give you your world. I'll give you, you don't want to speak specifics.
Aaron Spence
I'm willing to speak in general and say that based on our policies, we would never discipline students absent a violation of our disciplinary policies.
Speaker 110
Cool, let's speak in hypotheticals. I'm going to give you your world, right, since you're afraid to speak in specifics, even though your guidelines are in specifics.
Okay, just out of curiosity, why not?
Aaron Spence
Because I'm not at liberty to share information about student disciplinary matters.
Speaker 110
Sure you are, you're choosing not to. This isn't a can't, sir. You're a highly educated individual. You know you can speak on specifics. This is a won't.
But I'll give you your world. Let's speak in hypothetically. So hypothetically speaking, there are three boys in a locker room. Hypothetically speaking, what usually happens in a locker room? People change in a locker room, they undress.
It should be a private space, hypothetically speaking, right, sir? Mr. Spence, you paying attention?
I am.
Aaron Spence
Hypothetically speaking, students change in locker rooms and should be able to change in a private space.
Speaker 110
Super great, it's kind of a private space, right? Yeah, good, I'm glad we agree. So let me get this. In what universe, hypothetically speaking, would it make sense to you for a biological female, or anyone for that matter, to come in and begin to videotaping me, and then the three boys that hypothetically in your world got videotaped got a ten-day suspension, and the perpetrator, you know, the biological female in the boys' bathroom that's supposed to be a safe space, which you say is completely unacceptable to film in safe places, could you explain in what realm, what universe, hypothetically speaking, that that biological female would receive a lesser sentence? The person that does the filming gets say, hypothetically, a one-day in-school suspension, hypothetically, but the victims that got filmed got a ten-day suspension, hypothetically.
What's your response to that hypothetical question?
Aaron Spence
Our school division would not discipline students absent a violation of our disciplinary policies.
Speaker 123
Excuse me, what the heck does that mean? So in what realm does that make sense to you, sir?
Speaker 122
Our school division would not discipline students absent a violation of our disciplinary policies.
So what realm does that make sense to you, sir?
Speaker 120
Our school division would not discipline students absent a violation of our disciplinary policies.
Speaker 110
Okay, the victims got a ten-day suspension, hypothetically. The person, the biological female that did the filming got a one-day suspension, hypothetically. You're telling me that's okay, that's tolerable, that's cool, that's acceptable?
Speaker 119
As I said before, our school district would not discipline students via...
Speaker 110
You are weak, you are extremely weak, pathetic, and thank God my children didn't go to your school.
I disagree with your characterization.
You can disagree.
Tim Walberg
Gentlelady's time has expired. I now recognize the gentleman from Virginia, the ranking member, Mr. Scott.
Bobby Scott
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Dr. Spence, you've been asked a lot of questions about the legal liability of schools for recognizing trans students based on how they identify, and you were cut off when you were suggesting that that was the law in Virginia. Were you referring to a Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals case coming out of Gloucester, Virginia?
Yes, sir, I was.
Aaron Spence
So the case that we're talking about is in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, Grimm versus Gloucester. With no ambiguity, Grimm versus Gloucester requires us to allow transgender students to use the private spaces, bathrooms, and locker rooms of their consistently identified gender.
Bobby Scott
Thank you. And Mr. Smith, you're a lawyer. Can a presidential executive order invalidate a circuit court of appeals precedent?
Definitely not.
Speaker 124
Thank you. Let me change... is there any question in your mind as to whether an executive order can overturn a circuit court opinion? Any question about that?
Bobby Scott
No question in my mind either. Now let me change subjects. Dr. Spence, you indicated that six of your schools were in the top 20 in the Commonwealth, and the others have indicated that their schools were improving. What matrix were measured for that status? And just generally, what are you doing to improve education and eliminate achievement gaps, and how can the federal government be helpful?
Executive orders are not law. No question about that.
Aaron Spence
Thank you. I'm afraid it would take all of your time if I respond to this in detail. I would say in general, the metrics are based on aggregate student achievement across the four categories that are measured on our standardized testing program in Virginia. What we're doing is paying attention to every single child, trying to understand their strengths, their needs, and put supports and resources in place to ensure that where they have needs, we're meeting those needs, talking with our families, talking with our teachers about what resources our kids need and making sure we put those in place so that we can continue to move the needle forward for our kids. Our goal is that our kids thrive.
Aaron Spence
As we've talked about before, I truly believe the funding mechanisms that the federal government has behind education in the country, special education, English learners, some of our most marginalized populations socioeconomically who are funded... our schools are funded to support them through Title I, all of that matters. The expertise, specifically, for example, around special education compliance that used to be in the Department of Education but unfortunately seems to have been gutted, we need that sort of support in our schools. And I think the federal government engaging in these kinds of dialogues about what happens in our schools matters. And I think that we should be focused, as has been said a number of times in here, on the things that are really important and critical to us: the looming teacher shortage in this country, what's happening with literacy, what's happening with numeracy, and how we are attacking those. And, you know, the federal government bringing together the collective expertise of researchers and educators across the country and saying, "What are the best practices in pedagogy that are really going to improve outcomes for our kids?" and identifying that.
We have a What Works database that was developed by the federal government that says, "Here's the very best practices in education, and if you do these things in your schools, you're likely to impact kids in a positive way." That's the sort of leadership we look to from the federal government.
Bobby Scott
Thank you. And we're disbanding IES.
Dr. King, can you say what we could do to be helpful to help you improve education and reduce achievement gaps?
Creg Williams
I would say fully fund our schools. That is what is most needed in this time and instead of and to work with our state and the federal government work with our state with our state legislatures to ensure that there is clarity around the laws that are in question today. And I would also say to make our students the center of the decisions and the focus as opposed to some of the other top focuses that come across.
And what would the money be used for?
Creg Williams
Our money would be used to target those students' needs that we have. If there's students that are receiving special education services, allow us to target that. The cost of educating children today has increased substantially, whereas the funding sources have not. So there is an increase in in cost, but it is also there's a correlation between the the cost of the the resources that are needed to support children.
Maria Su
I would echo my colleagues. I would just continue to to emphasize that funding special education at the 40% commitment rate when IDEA was first initiated would be extremely crucial and helpful and beneficial to local school districts, particularly at SFUSD. We would be able to then provide the much-needed wrap-around supports that our students would need. We would also love for us to continue to prioritize our low-income students and our our English language English language learners at the school district.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Speaker 128
The gentleman's time has expired, and now it's time for closing comments. I recognize the ranking member, Mr. Scott.
Bobby Scott
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and once again, thank you for the witnesses for joining us today. The federal government has responsibility to ensure that all children, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, income, or zip code, receive a quality education in a safe school environment. But instead of fulfilling this mandate, we've focused on spending time injecting culture war debates in the classrooms, all the while the Trump administration is dismantling the Department of Education, starting with the Office of Civil Rights. While hearings like this held today may make for good sound bites, they don't make for good policy. They don't help improve education.
It's time for Congress to give up the political theater and stop the politicization of education and focus on what really matters, and that is improving education in our public schools and combating gun violence in in our public schools. These ideas should not be controversial, but by perpetuating ideological debates, Republicans are only deepening the partisan divides that do nothing to improve student outcomes or safety. Democrats are committed to delivering for our students, teachers, and families and fighting back against the Trump administration's attacks on America's education system. We are focused on improving schools, ensuring students have a bright future ahead of them, not not playing political games, and I welcome you to join in that fight. I would like to make sure that the letters that I referenced at the beginning of my testimony are entered into the record by unanimous consent.
Tim Walberg
I thank the gentleman. And I thank the panel for being here. In disagreement or in agreement, and I'm glad we had some good positive shows of some things that are taking place in the San Francisco Unified School District. And we want that to take place. I think we've been characterized today in two spectrums.
From the Legal Defense Fund. Thank you.
Tim Walberg
Democrats want to see improvement in education, Republicans don't. Republicans want racism to continue, Democrats don't. Both of those are false statements. This hearing today is for the reason of getting back to solid education and getting away from these cultural wars that was a term that was used consistently today. But those cultural wars have been produced in such a way that it's impacting education.
I put out a press statement today relative to the NAEP scores where I said the latest NAEP results make clear that we must renew our focus on the fundamentals. Reading and math are the foundation of every student's success. And I think we agree on that. And too many children are still struggling to master these essential skills. While it's encouraging to see some improvement among nine-year-olds in reading and math, we still have a long way to go.
Thirteen-year-olds showed essentially no improvement, underscoring the lasting academic damage caused by school closures, of course referring back to COVID. Every child should have the skills they need to succeed long after they leave the classroom. We cannot afford to let another generation fall behind. I think we can all agree on that. Trouble is, we're seeing a lot of energy and effort put into things that don't matter.
The fact of the matter is, almost 80% of our citizens polled clearly stated they don't want males in female sports or restrooms. And yet your schools and the state of Illinois rules that you follow, that you, Dr. King, referred to so often, encourage that. Those are the things that we are concerned that are taking away from the science of reading, etc., that will change our school systems. COVID had one silver lining. It allowed parents to see what was going on in the classrooms that their kids were in.
And we saw a significant exodus of parents and children moving to other settings of education, including home education. One of our members here, in fact, talked of her home educational experience, not during COVID, but she saw that as necessary and an outcome producer of quality for her son. But I think other parents are seeing the same thing, and when they are wrestling with the fact that their kids are encouraged to go against even their home family ideals and involve themselves in political statements, that they are being taught things that aren't scientifically true. I remember Dr. Fauci for three years telling us to follow the science about COVID. Well, I think you all ought to follow the science about gender, male and female, and if you love your kids, as I hope you do, love comes with truth, telling them the truth.
IDEA funding and funding for special needs and mental health is certainly necessary. And I'm glad, even as I spoke with the Secretary of Education today, who reminded me that the increased funding that they have put in, this administration has put in, rivals anything in the last several decades and in fact expands upon it.
Now it's up to Congress to approve that increase in IDEA funding. That will be helpful, but will that funding be also used to teach our young people the truth, as opposed to going along with the cultural settings out there trying to change reality about gender? Those are our concerns, and that was the reason for this hearing today. Yes, it was tough, and Dr. King, thank you for letting me know that we had to subpoena you to come, after trying all sorts of mechanisms and timelines and dates that for some reason or other never worked out, we had to subpoena you in. So I'm glad you're here, with the others who weren't subpoenaed.
But we needed to have this discussion, because if we don't have this discussion, then it's the same old same old. And the same old same old isn't producing the quality we need in education to stay ahead of the world and to be that beacon in the world that we need to be. We're as frustrated that segregation is most rampant in Democrat-governed cities, and yet they try to place on us as being the sponsors of segregation. Not true. We're leading the universal choice opportunity to give choice in even those cities, including Chicago, the opportunity for kids to have a choice so they aren't in segregated situations, if that be what my Democrat colleagues say is true.
We don't want that. We want people with diverse opportunities as well as diversity in the classrooms. This misinformation campaign that comes from my Democrat colleagues too often has to stop as well. So bottom line, this was an important hearing, an emotional hearing, of course, but this is part of education. And parents should not be as entities to be managed.
If indeed what you said today is true, that parents are integral to the success of your educational experience, we'd like to see that, in school board meetings, in the media reports of what is going on in the lives of parents and their children who they've asked you to supplement education that they can't provide. That's what we want to see. So again, thank you for being here, and I trust that all those who watched today, all those who will hear reports, if reported fairly and accurately, will see for the first time an opportunity that this isn't hidden anymore and education is going to be promoted. With that and no other questions or issues to be dealt with, this committee is adjourned.
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