Should the Minnesota Legislature have a say about when students are taught civics? How about whether they write in cursive — or learn when it is OK to touch or kiss someone?
Some state lawmakers think so.
School leaders typically are not fond of the Legislature enshrining curriculum decisions in state law. But every legislative session, there’s a handful of bills — among the hundreds of pieces of education-related legislation debated at the Capitol — that aim to do just that.
“We always get concerned about micromanagement from St. Paul when it comes to curriculum,” said Kirk Schneidawind, executive director of the Minnesota School Boards Association.
There’s no shortage of proposals this year.
Pending bills would require civics to be taught to high school juniors or seniors, make fiscal literacy a graduation requirement, mandate elementary kids be taught cursive writing and add “affirmative consent” to sexual education courses.
HOW CURRICULUM IS CREATED
Minnesota already has an exhaustive process for writing and reviewing what is taught in public schools. Everything from science to physical education has specific standards, reviewed by groups of educators, parents and other stakeholders on a set schedule.
Once those standards are put in place, local school leaders are tasked with overseeing the creation of a curriculum that meets the state benchmarks. Lawmakers of both parties typically laud that kind of “local control.”
“That is the better way to reform, change and alter the standards and then let districts figure out how to (meet) those standards,” Schneidawind said.
It’s also the way state laws prescribe how what is taught in public schools is generally decided. Districts are required to create advisory councils to ensure community participation in developing a curriculum that meets state standards.
CIVICS ‘IN A CLASS BY ITSELF’
The bill with the best shot at becoming law this legislative session would require high schools to teach civics to upperclassmen for credit and report the results of a required civics exam to state lawmakers.
Students are already required to earn 3.5 history credits in high school, but supporters of the change say civics is now taught before students can grasp its importance in their lives.
State Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, is chief sponsor of the Senate bill and chair of the education committee. She noted the proposal has bipartisan support in the House and the backing of DFL Secretary of State Steve Simon.
Nelson says the Legislature should generally refrain from making curriculum decisions for local schools but sometimes school boards need a nudge in the right direction.
“Civics is different,” Nelson said. “Civics is in a class by itself.”
Nelson and other supporters argue that strong civics education is essential to an informed and well-functioning democracy.
“There’s been a precipitous decline in civics education in our state and nation,” said Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, the chief sponsor in the House. “If a student doesn’t understand how our government works, all other learning doesn’t matter, because our republic is in peril.”
Urdahl noted the measure passed both chambers last year but failed to become law because it was included in a massive bill that was vetoed for other reasons. He plans to meet with Gov. Tim Walz, a former history teacher, to ask for his support.
Given the momentum the civics bill appears to have, education lobbyists have been working with lawmakers to fine-tune the legislation in hopes of minimizing any adverse impact on district budgets or school scheduling.
FINANCIAL LITERACY AND RACIAL GAPS
Civics isn’t the only issue where lawmakers see a dire problem with existing curriculum.
State Rep. Kaohly Her, DFL-St. Paul, wants to ensure students understand real-world finances before they leave high school. Doing so, Her argues, could help to close the state’s troubling income disparities between people of color and their white neighbors.
Financial literacy is important not just because everyone will need it eventually, Her said. “It is also a social justice tool to address one of America’s most pervasive problems — poverty.”
Saroeun Earm, a community-engagement consultant, told lawmakers recently about how when she was younger and helped her parents as an interpreter, she struggled to understand some financial concepts like fixed and adjustable interest rates. Not understanding such concepts could be expensive when buying a home.
“Having financial education gives us that critical analysis tool to make better future decisions,” Earm said. “It sets students up for success as future consumers.”
But school leaders and education lobbyists worry that adding another mandatory class will reduce the electives high school students can take. They’re already typically limited to seven classes over four years.
“For a lot of our high school students, their schedules are completely full,” said Roger Aronson of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals. “We don’t think (new requirements) are the right way to go.”
Instead, if the state’s math standards are lacking an important set of concepts, they need to be updated, said Scott Croonquist of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts.
CURSIVE AND CONTROVERSY
While it is hard to argue against better-informed citizens or financial literacy, there are plenty of curriculum proposals that would likely spark some outrage if mandated by the Legislature. Here’s where historic and modern-day cultural norms can collide.
Take, for instance, requiring elementary students to learn cursive handwriting, or be taught about consent when it comes to “interpersonal, physical or sexual activity.”
More than a dozen states have moved to require teaching cursive after it was on the decline in the era of the national Common Core educational standards. Likewise, schools across the nation are rethinking how to teach students about relationships and consent.
A recent study by the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., found that of the 24 states that mandate sex education, just eight require consent to be part of the curriculum.
Some communities may wholeheartedly support requiring these types of instruction while others might find them unnecessary or intrusive.
“I think that is why the decision should be left at the district level,” Schneidawind said.