STATEHOUSE — Teachers are responding to some changes to a bill being discussed in the Indiana Senate that would place more regulations on what your child’s teacher can and can’t teach.
The bill is specifically targeted at the teaching of critical race theory in schools, and lays out consequences for teachers and schools who would break those rules should they become law.
“We don’t want teachers mentioning something, as an example, because (people) are a certain ethnicity that someone is better, superior, inferior,” said State Sen. Linda Rogers (R-Granger). “I think they are concepts that everybody can get behind.”
But, teachers are skeptical of the bill and were critical of lawmakers last week for not allowing enough of some 100 teachers who registered to testify before a State Senate committee to speak.
Keith Gambill, the president of the Indiana Teachers Association, told WISH-TV teachers are also afraid that the bill is not specific enough about what’s off-limits.
“Many are concerned that they will begin to kind of avoid subjects, to not welcome in the conversation of students, to avoid current events,” Gambill said. “(Lawmakers) are targeting the way in which instruction occurs and putting in some instances that could fracture the parent-teacher relationship.”
Some of the provisions removed from the bill last week included one that would have allowed parents to sue teachers for teaching their child something they don’t approve of. It also removed a requirement all teacher lesson plans be posted online where parents can access them. Finally, the bill would ban parent-led curriculum review committees.
The bill is still stuck in committee discussions in the State Senate.
