They’re Here!

That was spoken in Poltergeist (1982) but now it is about the “Parental Rights” bills have been introduced in the Connecticut legislature this session.

HB 5270 AN ACT CONCERNING PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN EDUCATION

HB 5274 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A SCOPE OF REVIEW PROCESS FOR THE ADOPTION OF NEW CURRICULUM GUIDES AND MATERIALS AND PROVIDING FOR LEGISLATIVE APPOINTMENTS TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

Both of them are doozies!

(Note both of them are proposed legislation so the bills haven’t been roughed out.)

HB5270
1 That chapter 170 of the general statutes be amended to require a local
2 or regional board of education to make all curriculum materials
3 approved by such board for use in grades kindergarten to twelve,
4 inclusive, available on such board's Internet web site and to allow for a
5 period of public comment at all regular or special meetings of such
6 board.

This just adds another level of bureaucracy! Added a topic as innocuous what music is to be used in a music appreciation class will have to go before the boards of education!

Then there is “What happens is someone objects?” can one person force a change, or will their be a vote by those at the board of education hearings, or will it have to be a town referendum?

Then we have,

HB5274
1 That chapter 163 of the general statutes be amended to (1) create a
2 scope of review process for the adoption of curriculum guides and
3 materials that includes (A) public comment on any newly developed
4 curriculum guides and materials under consideration by the State Board
5 of Education, and (B) submission of such curriculum guides and
6 materials to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly
7 having cognizance of matters relating to education for approval
8 following a public hearing on such curriculum guides and materials by
9 such committee prior to the adoption and implementation of such
10 curriculum guides and materials by the state board; and (2) provide an
11 appointment to the State Board of Education for each of the six<
12 legislative leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

This is another stupid bill!

Talk about bureaucracy!

So if you want to add the “Grand Canyon Suite” to the list of songs played in music appreciation class, first it will have to be approved by the board of education, then it has to be be open to public comments, then it will have to be voted on by the General Assembly!

STUPID!

STUPID!

It will take over a year to get new songs to be approved! On the odd years the General Assembly meets for five months and the even years they meet only for four months. Then the General Assembly would have to take time to debate the changes.

Why?

It is all because the Republicans don’t want anything about race being taught! Nor anything about LGBTQ+ be taught in class!

What would happen if parents don’t want anything about 1921 Tulsa race massacre, or the Jim Crow laws, or about Stonewall, or the fact that Chinese couldn’t become citizens which would put it direct opposition to Connecticut non-discrimination laws!