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Expanded parental rights fight brews at Arizona Legislature

A bill that requires teachers and counselors to tell parents anything their child tells them in confidence has gotten initial approval in the Arizona House.

PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.

The Arizona House has given initial approval to a Republican-backed bill that boosts the rights of parents to know what is happening with their children in schools and allows them to push for penalties for teachers. 

The penalty provisions in the broad expansion of the state’s parents’ bill of rights debated Tuesday could lead to fines, suspensions, or dismissal for teachers. 

House Bill 2161 requires teachers and school counselors to tell a student’s parents anything the child discloses in confidence.

It also allows parents to sue if they're not satisfied with how the school handled their complaint. 

Phoenix Republican Rep. Steve Kaiser is sponsoring the bill and says it's needed because teachers are keeping information from parents. 

“Parents have always had the ability to talk to the teacher and talk to the principal and voice their frustration, but that’s it,” Kaiser said. “There’s no other substantial pathway of recourse.”

Democrats call it an unneeded bill that puts parents and teachers in an adversarial relationship when they should be working together.

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