From Covering Kids & Families of Indiana
House Bill 1134, a bill critiqued for restricting teachers and school health professionals as well as potentially limiting the use of social emotional learning practices in schools, will be undergoing major revisions. The Senate sponsor of the bill, Senator Linda Rogers, unveiled a sweeping amendment that removed much of the original language of the bill.
Changes highlighted in the legislator's press release include:
- Removing language allowing staff lawsuits for violations of the bill, and instead allowing parents to appeal to the Indiana Department of Education.
- Eliminating the sections about material harmful to minors and sexually explicit materials, although much of that language remains in Senate Bill 17.
- Adding language stipulating parental notice requirements do not apply to daily interactions between school staff and students.
- Specifying that parental notice is not needed in a crisis situation when a student is in immediate danger of harming themselves or others, or when a student is immediate danger of abuse or neglect.
- Removing language requiring schools to be impartial in teaching about historical events and shortening the list of "divisive concepts" that schools may not teach regarding sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color and national origin:
- That one group is inherently superior or inferior to another.
- That one group should be treated adversely or preferentially.
- That individuals, by virtue of their traits, are inherently responsible for the past actions of others who share their traits.
While many educators and school health advocates found the changes to be a good step toward lessening the negative impacts of the original bill, many still feel the bill is inherently flawed. Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) President Keith Gambill commented "We recognize Senator Rogers’ attempt to improve this harmful and divisive legislation, however, ISTA still has concerns over the implications of banning the teaching of certain concepts. HB 1134 would still prevent teachers from teaching our students an honest education under the threat of frivolous complaints that could lead to reprisals." |
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