HB 3979: Curriculum changes

In K-12 social studies curriculum, teachers will not be required to teach current events or social affairs, and those who choose to will be encouraged to discuss them from a number of perspectives without bias.

Humanities teacher Debbie Brininstool said she thinks that teachers need to be unbiased when discussing current events.

“I think if you’re grounded in facts rather than emotion, … those teachers will be fine to go ahead and talk about current events,” Brininstool said.

This bill states that teachers cannot:

require coursework that involves working with organizations lobbying for local, state or federal legislation

teach that any person is inherently racist or sexist because of their race or sex or consciously or unconsciously

teach that someone is responsible for actions committed by others in the past because of their race or sex.