Sep. 30—Mired by controversy, the commonly called the "Parents' Bill of Rights" became North Carolina law last month, but what that means for kids in the classroom remains to be seen.

The law limits instruction of LGBTQ+ issues in elementary schools, spells out new processes for reviewing and challenging textbooks and requires teachers to notify parents if a child wants to use a different name or pronoun.

Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Trevor Putnam told the Haywood County School Board during a work session this month that many parts of Senate Bill 49 align with how Haywood County Schools has conducted business for years.

"For some school systems, this may be a shock or require a lot of action on their part," Putnam said. "For Haywood County Schools, this will not. We welcome the Parents' Bill of Rights. I think it's in line with our current operating procedures. We understand that parents should be a critical and vital part of their child's education."

The controversial bill required an override of N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper's veto and has been criticized by some as political overreach.

"Unfortunately, the school systems have become a battleground for a difference of opinions and politics," Putnam said. "There's simply no place for that in educating kids."

Putnam told The Mountaineer all parents and children are entitled to their own beliefs and will be properly afforded those rights in Haywood County Schools. Where that stops, however, is applying those individual beliefs to the entire community. Putnam said it boils down to including families in every step of their child's education journey.

"Some school systems shy away from parental involvement or input. I believe it's the only way we provide we provide a school system that reflects the community," he said. "Parent involvement can never be seen as a bad thing. It helps us grow and be a reflection of our community.

Putnam chalked up the district's outstanding test scores — in which Haywood County Schools ranked No. 7 out of 115 school districts across the state in 2022 — as a direct result of parental involvement.

"Our scores are no coincidence. It is a reflection of the expectations of our parents, so we try to involve parents in any way we can," Putnam said. "We realize that we are not perfect, and there are things that are upsetting at times, and we work through those issues individually with parents and students. I strongly feel that's how we get better and stronger through that process."