All public schools should be making their curricula transparent

When a group of parents in Philadelphia approached us about their children’s new social studies curriculum, they said they couldn’t review it.

They had heard concerns about how it portrayed American history, but the district would not provide the materials. Eventually, one parent connected us with a teacher willing to share it — but only on the condition of anonymity, for fear of professional consequences.

In a taxpayer-funded public school system, such a thing should be unthinkable. Yet similar restrictions have emerged in districts across the country, raising a basic question: Why are parents being kept in the dark about what their children are taught?

In Philadelphia, the materials — once obtained — included lessons that asked students to consider replacing “The Star-Spangled Banner” after examining America’s history of racism. Other units framed industrialization primarily in terms of “greed and exploitation.” Parents had no way of knowing this in advance.

Elsewhere, the pattern is similar. In San Francisco, a parent reported being given just 30 minutes to review a textbook — a year’s worth of material, in the time it takes to eat lunch. In Montgomery County, Md., where my children attended school, parents seeking to review curriculum were required to do so in person, under supervision, and were not permitted to copy materials — as if they were handling top secret classified government documents.

These are not isolated bureaucratic hurdles; they are intentional policy choices. They reflect........

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