Controversial Utah curriculum bill to be held
Jan 28, 2022, 12:58 PM
Utah Education Association President Heidi Matthews speaks in opposition of SB114, Public School Curriculum Requirements, during a Senate Education Committee meeting in the Senate Building in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. The bill, which creates a process to give parents a say over school curriculum and supplemental curriculum, passed the committee 4-2. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The sponsor of a bill that received backlash from the state’s largest teachers union has asked that the proposed legislation be held.
The bill, HB234, would require that all learning materials and syllabi for each day of instruction be posted online.
An online petition by the Utah Education Association in opposition to the bill gathered more than 30,000 signatures, according to UEA President Heidi Matthews. The petition asserts the bill would create more work for teachers.
UPDATE: Rep. Teuscher has asked that HB234 be held. @myuea had started an online petition opposing the bill.
"I think this bill is going to need more than the 34 days that we have left in this session," @jordanteuscher said in a tweet. @KSL5TV @kslnewsradio https://t.co/WxiUaVDoGI
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) January 28, 2022
“This unnecessary legislation shows an utter lack of understanding of instructional design and how teachers work,” reads the introduction to the petition. “It is not a common-sense approach to increasing parental involvement and the responsiveness of public schools.”
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jordan Teuscher, R-South Jordan, said he was in the process of making changes to the proposed legislation to clarify its intent. But he asked Friday that the bill be held “so we can take the time that is needed to more fully flesh it out.”
4/ Here is a copy of my full statement on HB234. #utpol #utleg pic.twitter.com/LV2pXtBDOH
— Jordan Teuscher (@jordanteuscher) January 28, 2022
“Timing is everything in politics and in order to ensure that teachers are heard, misconceptions are dispelled and the best solutions are developed, I think this bill is going to need more than the 34 days that we have left in this session,” Teuscher said. “I will recommend that this bill be added to the list of topics to be studied by the Education Interim Committee, giving me time to meet with interested parties, adapt the bill to better meet the needs of parents and teachers and have a better forum to receive public input.”
Teuscher also said he was forced to use his time to “put out fires and dispel untruths” instead of working on achieving a consensus solution for the bill due to a “coordinated misinformation campaign that has been levied” against the proposed legislation.
The lawmaker previously told KSL TV’s Ladd Egan his bill would address the issue of transparency and best practices for teachers so that parents can raise questions before something is taught in the classroom.
UEA voices opposition to education bills requiring curriculum to be posted online
The bill also allows for limited litigation against a school district in the case of a violation. Teuscher said his intent was to create barriers to frivolous lawsuits.
