House Bill 1101 was introduced this week explicitly noting that the State Board of Education has no ability to require the use of a specifically designated curriculum. And from a reading of the language, I have to wonder where people’s concerns over the common core curriculum fits into the puzzle, based on this legislation:
HOUSE BILL NO. 1101
Introduced by: Representatives Sly and Partridge and Senators Rampelberg and Tieszen
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to ensure local control over curriculum and methods of instruction.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:Section 1. That § 13-1-12.1 be amended to read as follows:
13-1-12.1. The South Dakota Board of Education shall promulgate rules pursuant to chapter 1-26 to establish standards for the classification and accreditation of schools within this state, to establish standards for preparation of certified personnel, to set forth procedures for determining the eligibility of school districts to receive state foundation aid effective January 1, 1997, to adopt policies and rules necessary to establish standards and procedures for career and technical education and to establish curriculum requirements for a recommended high school program for all public and nonpublic schools within the state. The recommended high school program shall include a rigorous high school curriculum in both academic and career and technical courses. The requirements of the recommended program shall be aligned to the academic content standards developed pursuant to § 13-3-48 and shall, at a minimum, include the content standards tested pursuant to § 13-3-55.Nothing in this section authorizes the board to require the use of specifically designated curriculum or methods of instruction.
The addition to the law is the underlined section, noting “Nothing in this section authorizes the board to require the use of specifically designated curriculum or methods of instruction.” But does it prevent it, if the school chooses to implement it?
And I have to speculate… if the State Board of Ed is unable to require the use of specifically designated curriculum, or methods of instruction, to what degree would school boards then have the ability to locally determine what is taught?
Could a local school board choose do adopt a science curriculum of creationism supplanting the teaching of evolution in the science classroom?
Looks like an excellent idea to me. I suspect it is a response to Common Core, and the fear that all curicculum will in the future be mandated from Pierre. Your example of creationism is just one of hundreds that could be made. I’m quite certain the local school board can make that choice now, and we’d like to leave it that way. The local school board should have the final say, period ! That’s why they are elected.
Hey evolution created the Dinosaur’s; God just thought them unbecoming of His Earth’s resources and dusted them with a giant meteor.
Genetic scientists have proven without a shadow of a doubt that every human being has the same DNA coursing through their veins though.
Atheists and literal Creationists should really learn to get along since they have so much in common by both clinging to such utterly insane extremes well beyond commonsense, logic, evidence, and understanding.