Parental communication: teacher meetings.

The document was reformatted from an official enrolled bill (with Secretary of the Senate and Chief Clerk signature blocks, page numbers, and formal headers) into a web page layout that includes site navigation, quick search, version history, and sharing tools. No policy language was added, removed, or altered.

The bill title was narrowed from a general act 'relating to elementary and secondary education' to specifically an act amending Section 51101 on parental engagement. A separate section stating the Legislature's intent to enact future education legislation was deleted entirely.

Subdivision (c) requiring schools in the High Priority Schools Grant Program that maintain kindergarten through grade 5 to jointly develop a school-parent compact with parents was deleted, removing an obligation tied to federal grant participation.

The right to communicate with a teacher remotely now extends beyond 'parents or guardians' to also include 'educational rights holders,' broadening who can use this accommodation.

The remote meeting right is now limited to 'individual meetings about their child' rather than any meeting, and the technology options are more specific: 'by telephone' instead of 'two-way telephonic service' and 'school-approved web conferencing platform' instead of the broader 'two-way audiovisual platform.'

A new prohibition bars schools from recording or transcribing remote parent-teacher meetings conducted by telephone or web conferencing.

New subparagraph (B) requires that if a parent, guardian, or educational rights holder elects to attend remotely, both parties must comply with existing nonconsensual recording laws (Education Code Section 51512 and Penal Code Section 632), and the school must notify the individual of potential privacy and confidentiality risks due to the meeting format or sensitive information being discussed.

The fiscal committee designation changed from 'no' to 'yes' and the state-mandated local program designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' acknowledging that the new duties imposed on schools (such as providing approved web conferencing platforms and privacy notices) trigger state reimbursement obligations.

New Section 1.5 rewrites Section 51101 to incorporate changes from AB 2555, including a requirement that schools in the High Priority Schools Grant Program maintaining kindergarten through grade 5 jointly develop a school-parent compact with parents or guardians under federal law (Section 6319 of Title 20 U.S.C.).

New rights added specifically for parents of English learners: the right to meet with teachers to discuss progress toward English proficiency, reclassification as fully English proficient, biliteracy opportunities, and the State Seal of Biliteracy; expanded notification of their child's progress in developing English proficiency; and information on proficiencies needed for reclassification.

New Section 2 establishes that Section 1.5 only becomes operative if both SB 1412 and AB 2555 are enacted by January 1, 2027, both amend Section 51101, and SB 1412 is enacted after AB 2555. In that scenario, Section 1 of this bill does not become operative.

Remote meeting language simplified from 'using a 2-way telephonic service by telephone or a 2-way audiovisual school-approved web conferencing platform' to 'by telephone or a school-approved web conferencing platform,' removing redundant descriptors without changing the substance of the right.

The old subdivision (c) regarding restraining orders and custody conflicts was renumbered to subdivision (d) to accommodate the new subdivision (c) on school-parent compacts.

The bill now amends Section 51101 of the Education Code rather than being a placeholder with no operative provisions. It codifies an extensive list of parental rights including classroom observation, teacher meetings, volunteering, notification of absences, test results, curriculum access, school records, and more.

New paragraph (17) gives parents or guardians who are unable to attend a meeting in person the right to communicate with their child's teacher using a two-way telephonic service or a two-way audiovisual platform. This is the primary new substantive right created by the amendment.

A new Section 2 requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for costs mandated by the bill, as determined by the Commission on State Mandates. The fiscal notes changed from 'no' to 'yes' for both the fiscal committee review and state-mandated local program classification.

The legislative counsel digest was rewritten to reflect the amended content, and formatting/line numbering was updated throughout.