HCSHB2189--CURRICULUMMATERIALS
SPONSOR: Coleman(97)
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonElementaryandSecondaryEducationbyavoteof11to
7.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
2189.
Thisbillmodifiesandcreatesprovisionsregardingcurriculaand
programstaughtinpublicschools.
ThisbillprohibitstheStateBoardofEducationandtheDepartment
ofElementaryandSecondaryEducation(DESE)frompromotingthe
curriculumtobeusedinpublicschools. Eachlocalschoolboard
shallberequiredtoapproveandadoptthecurriculumusedbythe
schooldistrictatleastsixmonthspriortoimplementation. Each
schoolboardshalladoptpoliciesandprocedurestoensurethe
approvedcurriculumisproperlyimplementedintheclassroom. The
billdetailsrequirementsforthechoiceofacademicclass
offeringsandcurriculummaterials. Atleastfiveyearsofdata
showingpercentagesofstudentsbygradelevelandproficiency
basedonstateassessmentscoresshallbepostedinthesame
sectionasthecurriculaonthedistrict'swebsite(Section
160.516,RSMo).
Allprofessionaldevelopmentandinstructionalmaterialsofferedto
schoolsthatarepaidforwithstatefunds,whetherofferedbyDESE
oranotherpartyshallbefullytransparentandavailabletothe
publicasoutlinedinthebill.Programmaterialsshallbe
availabletothepublicatnochargeonDESE'swebsiteandprogram
offeringsshallbeopenforpublicattendance.
Thebilldetailsthepostingandretentionrequirementsforprogram
offerings. Forprogramsofferedbythirdparties,DESEshall
maintaindataandinformationonitswebsiteasoutlinedinthe
bill(Section161.023).
Thisbillcreatesthe"MissouriEducationTransparencyand
Accountability Portal". TheportalshallbeanInternet-basedtool
creatingtransparencyinMissouri'spubliceducationsystemand
providingcitizensaccesstoeveryschooldistrict'scurriculum,
sourcematerials,andprofessionaldevelopmentmaterials. The
portalshallconsistofaneasy-to-searchdatabaseincluding
certaininformationasoutlinedinthebill.TheCommissionerof
Educationshallestablishaformthatschooldistrictsshall
completewiththeinformationrequiredbythebill(Section 161.852).
Underthisbill,schooldistrictsandcharterschoolsshallpublish
ontheirwebsitesalltrainingmaterialsusedforstaffandfaculty
training,allinstructionalmaterials,andallcurricularmaterials
relatedtonondiscrimination, diversity,equity,inclusion,race,
ethnicity,sex,orbias,includingcertaininformationasdescribed
inthebillrelatedtoinstructionalmaterialsandcurricular
materials.
Suchmaterialsshallbedisplayedwithinsevendaysaftertheuse
ofsuchmaterialsintrainingorinstructionandshallremain
displayedforatleasttwoyears.
Anyemployeeofaschooldistrictthatdisclosesaviolationof
thisprovisionshallbeprotectedfromanymannerofretaliationas
providedbycurrentlaw.
SuitforallegedviolationsofthebillmaybebroughtbyDESE,the
AttorneyGeneral,localprosecutingattorney,localcounty
counselor,localcircuitattorney,oralocalresident.
Suchsuitshallbebroughtinthecircuitcourtforthecityor
countyinwhichtheallegedviolatorislocated. Uponafindingof
aviolation,injunctivereliefshallbeissuedtocorrectsuch
violations. Knowingviolationsshallresultinacivilpenaltyof
upto$1,000,andpurposefulviolationsshallresultinacivil
penaltyofupto$10,000inadditiontoattorney'sfeesandcosts.
Schooldistrictsandcharterschoolsmaybringsuitinthelocal
circuitcourtattheirownexpense,ormayseekaformalopinion
fromtheAttorneyGeneral,toascertaintheproprietyofactions
anddecisionsthatmayviolatethisbill.Suchdeterminationmay
includeareviewofproposedusesofschoolresourcesorparticular
materials(Section170.360).
Thisbillcontainsanemergencyclause.
ThisbillissimilartoSB645(2022).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatduringthepandemicparentsbecame
awareofthecurriculumbeingusedinthepublicschoolsandthat
thiscreatedsomeconsternationforthem.Localschoolboards
shouldstilldeterminethecurriculumhowevermoretransparency
wouldhelptoallowparentstofeelmorecomfortableaboutwhat student'sarelearning. Tooftendistrictsaretakingtaxdollars
andtheendresultseemstobewastedasstudentsconsistently
underperform.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Coleman;AliGraeff;
AmberCrawford;AndreaShrum;CelesteWilliams;Dr.LisaEGore;
EimeeCook;ElizabethDowner;HannahHuff;JohnMDefriese;Julie
Boerner;KriketRiddle;LoraYoung;MattDeniszczuk;Matthew
Crawford;NancyGoeddel;RachelLively;SaraBarnard;SophiaONeal;
TracyWelborn;CandiceDoerr;RachlAguirre;TambraLWiley;
Christine;ChristineUmfleet;ConstanceKuchar;Cynthia
Hoffmeister;DonGrimm;JessicaGrimm;PaulaMcClanahan;Stephanie
Diestelkamp;TerriBaker;KimSwartz;andLindiWilliford.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatlimitationson
curriculumandondistrictshandcuffeducatorsandholdstudents
backfromlearning. Thisbillisunnecessaryandstudentsshould
beabletostudyallaspectsofourhistoryincludingthe
systematicracistandsexistparts.Limitinghistorytobeingonly
taughtfromoneperspectivewillharmeducationinourstateand
thislanguageseemstobemerelyredtape,andtheideathathistory
mustbepresentedinapositivelightisvague.
TestifyingagainstthebillwereAngelaSanders;AnnieBernaix;
ArnieC.AcDienoff;ArthurLMaxwell;BethNewman;CherylRanum;
ChristenSantoscoy;ConstanceDoty;DavidMountjoy;DawnBanks;
DeloresBlaser;DevonRafaelTeran,RevolucíonEducativa;Erin
Kasten;GeralynMadigan;HeatherZychalski;JaniceColt;Jeff
Wolman;JessicaPool;JohnL.Sita;KristieJohnson;LauraMarcus
Mountjoy;LorriRichardson;ProChoiceMissouri;MaryLindsay;
MeganVonArb;MichaelBourbina;MichelleShepherd;RebeccaShaw;
RebekahBerkowitz;MissouriAssociationofSchoolAdministrators;
SharenHunt;SloanSheffieldCowell;SusanGibson;SusanShumway;
TeddyWiberg;VictoriaGodfrey-Zeller;PhilipDeitch;Becky;Maria
LenaTolliver;MarissaPolzin;MissouriNEA;CatherineHolmes;
CherylRSchlegel;Dava-LeighBrush;EmilyKlein;HannahMitchell;
JarrettPillsbury;JulieScott;LauraBurkhardt;LindaHoechst;
AdvocatesofPlannedParenthoodofTheStLouisRegionand
SouthwestMissouri;MarilynDollinger;NicholeBrinkmann;Peggy
Harriman;StephanieRittgers;TomFerri;ShiraBerkowitz,PROMO;
andConnorLuebbert,MissouriStateConferenceoftheNational
AssociationfortheAdvancementofColoredPeople.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythereareconcernsabout
therequirementofkeepingpresentations, programs,andmaterials
thatmightbecopyrightedandthatthisbillseemstosingleout
clubsandafterschoolactivities.
TestifyingonthebillwasSuzanneMcGinnis. Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.