Recently uncovered emails indicate that the Biden administration’s Department of Education (ED) aimed to form a secret parent advisory board in 2022. The intention seemed to be to empower teachers’ unions and activist groups while influencing federal education policies.
During Joe Biden’s presidency, the department launched The National Parent and Family Involvement Council, touted as a “partnership between parents, educators, and the school community to support student success.” However, according to Defending Education, the council was largely composed of activist organizations focused on progressive ideologies related to race, gender, and immigration. Notably, no conservative parent groups were included in the initiative.
The emails, shared by Defending Education with the Daily Caller News Foundation, show that the ED actively reached out to specific ideologically aligned groups to join its council and shape its objectives.
In a letter to potential council members, the ED stated, “The National Parent-Family Engagement Council is an opportunity to listen, learn, and engage families,” emphasizing their commitment to ensuring parent voices would matter in helping children recover academically and socially from the pandemic.
Organizational leaders were encouraged to provide input on the department’s profile and to designate a parent representative for the council. It’s worth noting that many of the invited groups were prominent special interest organizations, such as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National Action Network led by Al Sharpton, NAACP, LGBTQ+ organization PFLAG, and Latino advocacy group Unidos.
Upon receiving the invitations, various groups urged the department to enhance the program’s inclusivity, suggesting that the council should represent a diverse demographic and geographic array of parent voices.
“Please clarify how council members will represent a diverse voice of families,” the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement stated in their email to ED. Their suggestions included considering diversity in terms of gender, racial/ethnic backgrounds, language, political views, and types of family structures.
This push for representation echoed concerns from other organizations, who also emphasized the need for diversity among council members to reflect the numerous experiences of families in the educational landscape.
Some groups, like the United Parent Leaders Action Network, pointed out that it’s vital for the council to include families that are often underrepresented, such as Black and Brown parents and those from immigrant backgrounds. They also highlighted the significance of “cultural competency” and “equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
The National Parent Teacher Association, in its email, queried whether they could offer translation support, while Girls Inc. suggested that the council should tackle issues related to “disciplinary equity” and ensuring that girls and other underrepresented groups have equitable career opportunities.
Interestingly, there was also a suggestion to broaden the term “parent” to include “carer,” which reportedly led to changes in the documentation.
In addition to accepting their invitation, AFT urged other groups to participate, some of which focus on countering extremism and promoting various social justice issues. Notably, AFT has invested significantly in several organizations aligned with these initiatives.
The ED later clarified that this council was not a federal advisory body and wouldn’t have access to a wide array of issues affecting federal educational policies.
Critics have accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the Department of Justice to silence parents who voice concerns at school board meetings. Ian Pryor from America First Legal described the establishment of the council as a “bogus” attempt to further leftist policies covertly.
This council was disbanded within six months, following legal actions alleging that it was illegal and overly partisan. Critics claimed it didn’t meet federal advisory committee guidelines, which demand a balanced representation of viewpoints and transparency.
After sustained legal efforts, further documents pertaining to the council were obtained in 2025, revealing that the Biden administration curated a council filled with supporters to create an illusion of parental engagement. Critics pointed out how this initiative starkly contrasts with previous administrations’ genuine attempts to include parents more actively in educational discussions.
