3 Important Laws That Every Texan Parent Should Know

3 Important Laws That Every Texan Parent Should Know

Parenting can be a challenging yet highly rewarding journey. And part of your responsibility as a parent involves staying well-informed about the legal framework that protects you and your child. In Texas, there are several laws you should be aware of that safeguards your child’s welfare. Ranging from education, parental custody to health matters, you simply cannot afford to be ignorant of the law. Did you know that Texas continues to rank in the bottom ten states across the US, as far as child-protection is concerned? Moreover, because children in Texas continue to face barriers, it will be beneficial to know the laws that help you to help them.

1. The law on home-schooling

 

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If you ever thought home-schooling was an unregulated luxury to indulge in with your child, you thought wrong. Home-schooling in Texas has been around since the ruling in Leeper v. Arlington ISD (1999). The Texan Supreme Court decided that home-schooling should be regarded in the same way as private schools. As a result, a parent who home-schools minors in this US state is not required by law to register as a formal educational entity.

 

What makes this law even more accommodating is that parents do not require college degrees or formal teaching certifications to home-school their kids. According to the Texas Education Code, parents home-schooling their children do not even have to count attendance. That notwithstanding, there are three legal requirements to follow when you home-school minors. These are:

 

• The curriculum used must be visual. i.e., worksheets, books, or even with a video monitor
• Regardless of the curriculum used, it must always include grammar, spelling, math, reading, and good citizenship subjects.
• All instructions used for home-schooling should be bonafide.

1. The law guiding immigrant children and families

Every parent living in the United States with a child is obligated by law to ensure their minors' total well-being. Therefore, supposing you are a family living in Texas with an immigrant child, the same law covers you as well. However, some significant variations need to be discussed. Starting off the conversation is the DACA policy -Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. If your child arrived in America before turning sixteen years old, this should be of concern to you.

 

Besides the arrival age condition, it requires the immigrant in question to have been living in the US since June 15, 2007. The DACA policy grants these immigrants a delayed removal action for a maximum of two years. Without it, your child could have difficulties with work authorization when they become adults. If you find yourself in this category, it will be useful to contact a TEXAS DACA attorney like Davis & Associates for a free consultation.

1. Legal right to disagree on educational issues with your child's school

 

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All across the fifty US states, parents have the right to be active in their kids' schools. However, Texas makes this right an even more enjoyable law for parents. Living in Texas as a parent, the law backs you to convey educational concerns about your child's school. However, there is a laid-down procedure to follow. The first step is to bring your worries to the school principal's attention or another person the head designates.

 

If the problem remains unresolved, then you can flow it on to the District Superintendent's office. At this stage, you have the right to ask how to involve the district administration. Supposing the same problem exists and you find yourself at your wit's end, then the school board should come in at this point. Keep in mind that the board members make up the same group responsible for setting educational policies at the district level. You can only contact the Texas Education Agency if you have irrefutable proof of an education law being violated.

 

Indeed, as with all other US states, it is necessary to be in tune with Texas laws at all times. Knowing these laws and the privileges granted you can contribute to the overall perception of your parental rights. Hopefully, you will find the points listed here beneficial as a Texan parent.