SB48INTRODUCED
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SB48
LDN3AWW-1
By Senators Reed, Livingston, Waggoner, Albritton, Jones,
Barfoot, Butler, Givhan, Bell, Kitchens, Orr, Chambliss,
Allen, Price, Roberts, Weaver, Williams, Hovey, Carnley,
Sessions, Shelnutt, Kelley, Chesteen, Elliott, Gudger, Stutts,
Melson
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 06-Feb-24
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9 LDN3AWW-1 02/05/2024 KMS (L)lg 2024-405
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First Read: 06-Feb-24
SYNOPSIS:
This bill would require each public preK-12
school to post the curricula for each class on the
website of the school and would permit parents or
guardians of enrolled students to examine instructional
and supplemental materials used in the classroom upon
request.
This bill would also provide for a complaint
process and reporting requirements.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public preK-12 education; to require the
posting of classroom curricula on the website of the school;
to permit parents or guardians of enrolled students, upon
request, to examine instructional and supplemental materials
used in the classroom; to provide a complaint process; and to
provide for the reporting of the number of complaints to the
State Superintendent of Education and the Legislature.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) At the beginning of each school year,
and no later than 30 calendar days after a new or revised
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and no later than 30 calendar days after a new or revised
curriculum is adopted, the local superintendent of education
and local board of education shall verify that each school
under the jurisdiction of the board has posted current adopted
curricula for each class on the website of the school. Access
to the online curricula shall be made available to students,
parents, or guardians of enrolled students through the school
website. If a school has no accessible website, the curricula
shall be posted on the website of the local board of education
or the State Department of Education.
(b) Each classroom teacher shall comply with the
request of any parent, custodian, or guardian to examine
additional instructional materials adopted by the local board
of education, supplementary instructional materials in the
classroom that were not adopted by the local board of
education, and books in the classroom that are available for
students to read, subject to all of the following:
(1) Only the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in
the class may make a request pursuant to this subsection.
(2) The classroom teacher may require that the parent
or guardian schedule an appointment to examine the
instructional materials. If the classroom teacher requires an
appointment, the classroom teacher shall schedule the
appointment within 10 school days, to be held within 20 school
days, after the request of the parent or guardian is
submitted. The appointment shall be held during normal
instructional hours.
(3) As part of the examination, and upon the request of
the parent or guardian, the classroom teacher shall provide a
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the parent or guardian, the classroom teacher shall provide a
detailed summary of how the instructional material relates to
the content standards adopted by the State Board of Education.
(c) For any class in which reading books is required,
the classroom teacher shall include the titles of the books on
a class syllabus. Upon the request of the parent or guardian
of a child enrolled in the class, the classroom teacher shall
make the syllabus available to the parent or guardian.
(d) If a classroom teacher fails to comply with this
section, the parent or guardian may file a complaint with the
local superintendent of education on a form developed and
provided by the local superintendent of education. If the
complaint is not resolved by the local superintendent of
education within 10 school days, the parent or guardian may
file a complaint with the State Superintendent of Education,
or his or her designee. The State Superintendent of Education
shall make a form available for parents or guardians to file a
complaint pursuant to this subsection.
(e)(1) On or before September 1 annually, each local
superintendent of education shall report the number of
complaints filed with him or her during the previous school
year to the State Superintendent of Education. On or before
October 1 annually, the State Superintendent of Education
shall report the total number of complaints filed during the
previous school year, statewide and by county, to the Chairs
of the Senate Education Policy Committee and the House of
Representatives Education Policy Committee.
(2) Any complaint filed by a parent or guardian
pursuant to this act is an educational record of the student
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pursuant to this act is an educational record of the student
on whose behalf the complaint was filed.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on June 1,
2024.
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