“It’s time to start listening to parents and return to local control of our schools.”
– Washington Parents Network
Washington Parents Network (WPN) is a grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to protecting children, defending parental rights, and strengthening families throughout Washington State. Established in 2020, the organization operates on the fundamental belief that parents have both the natural right and responsibility to direct the upbringing, education, and well-being of their children. Its mission emphasizes preserving the essential relationship between parents and children while opposing government policies that it believes undermine parental authority. Such parental authority has been challenged in Washington State, and so their work becomes even more vital. To that noble end, their mission is this:
Parents as Primary Decision-Makers
Led by director David Spring, M.Ed. (see picture), WPN encourages families to become informed and actively involved in decisions affecting their children’s lives. Although its primary focus is parental rights rather than abortion, its commitment to protecting vulnerable children and preserving family relationships complements values embraced by many pro-life and pro-family organizations. Through education, advocacy, and grassroots organizing, WPN seeks to ensure that parents remain the primary decision-makers in their children’s upbringing.
One of the organization’s central priorities is protecting parental involvement in public education and ensuring that schools remain accountable to the families they serve. WPN advocates for greater transparency regarding classroom instruction, school policies, student privacy, and decisions involving children’s physical and emotional well-being. The organization strongly supports local control of public schools, believing that parents and elected school boards should have greater influence over educational policies than distant government bureaucracies.
It has also raised concerns about policies involving gender identity, parental notification, and medical decisions affecting minors, emphasizing that parents should remain involved in significant decisions concerning their children. By promoting informed parental consent and family participation, WPN seeks to preserve childhood innocence, strengthen family relationships, and ensure that educational institutions respect parental responsibilities.
Public Schools
Washington Parents Network has demonstrated its commitment to civic engagement through involvement in several significant educational and legislative controversies. Here are a few examples:
• The organization began in 2020 with parents attending school board meetings to challenge school closures, mask mandates, and other COVID-era educational policies.
• In 2023, its members participated in collecting signatures for Washington’s Parents’ Rights Initiative following the passage of Senate Bill 5599, a bill that would allow the government to give abortions and transgender surgeries to minors without parental consent.
• In July 2024, Washington Parents Network reported filing federal court complaints challenging changes to Title IX regulations and seeking action from state education officials.
• More recently, the organization has also advocated for protecting girls’ athletic opportunities and privacy in school bathrooms and locker rooms, arguing that Title IX protections should be maintained on the basis of biological sex.
These initiatives highlight its willingness to pursue legislative advocacy, public participation, and legal remedies in support of its stated principles.
Another important strength of Washington Parents Network is its commitment to educating and mobilizing parents across the state. The organization publishes informational reports addressing issues such as parental rights, school funding, local educational control, and medical policies affecting minors. These materials are intended to help parents understand complicated public policy questions and participate more effectively in discussions with school administrators, legislators, and elected officials. Washington Parents Network also distributes newsletters, organizes online meetings, and encourages local gatherings where concerned citizens can exchange information and coordinate advocacy efforts. Its leadership has emphasized building a statewide network of parents, grandparents, school board members, and community leaders who share a commitment to parental involvement. By providing educational resources and opportunities for grassroots participation, the organization seeks to transform individual parental concerns into coordinated civic action capable of influencing public policy.
Preserving a Sacred Bond
Washington Parents Network represents a determined voice for families who believe that parental authority, childhood protection, and educational accountability are essential to a healthy society. Its emphasis on preserving the parent-child relationship reflects the conviction that strong families provide children with the love, stability, guidance, and security necessary for their development.
As they state:
Our goal is to protect your fundamental right as a parent to direct the upbringing and education of your child – and to protect your child’s right to have a caring and trusting relationship with you as their parent. We believe that the parent-child relationship is essential to a child’s healthy development.
Through its advocacy for local school governance, parental notification, educational transparency, and greater citizen participation, the organization seeks to restore public confidence in the relationship between parents and educational institutions. Its grassroots approach encourages ordinary citizens to recognize that their voices matter and that meaningful changes in government policy can begin with informed, engaged families. By defending the rights of parents and advocating for policies it believes protect children, Washington Parents Network continues working toward a future in which families are respected, children are valued, and parents remain central to the decisions that shape the next generation.