Camarillo and Moorpark parents who can't make it to school for a parent-teacher conference will have a legal right starting Jan. 1, 2027, to join by phone or video call.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1412 on Tuesday, Sept. 29, creating a statewide requirement that public schools offer remote options for individual parent-teacher meetings, as first reported by EdSource.
The law applies to parents, guardians and court-appointed adults who make educational decisions for a child. When they cannot attend in person, they can participate by telephone or through a school-approved web-conferencing platform.
Schools choose which video platform to use.
Neither side may record or transcribe the call. The bill cites Education Code Section 51512 and Penal Code Section 632, California's existing laws against nonconsensual recording. Schools must also warn parents about potential privacy risks when discussing sensitive student information over a remote connection.
State Sen. Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, authored the bill. She said SB 1412 targets families "who may struggle with transportation or are navigating the complexities of immigration" and called it a step toward stronger school-family communication.
SB 1412 amends Education Code Section 51101, which lists the rights of parents and guardians with children in California public schools. The change covers Pleasant Valley School District elementary and middle schools, Moorpark Unified campuses and Oxnard Union High School District sites serving Camarillo students, including Adolfo Camarillo High School.
One open question: the bill text does not define what "unable to attend" means. It is unclear whether parents must give a reason, provide documentation or simply request the remote option. No guidance from the California Department of Education has been published.
None of the three local districts have publicly commented on how they plan to implement the requirement.
