Potential changes to Michigan’s school social studies standards are stirring controversy because they remove references to Roe v. Wade, gay rights and climate change while trimming references to the role of the NAACP. The revisions also eliminate the word “democratic” from the phrase “core democratic values.”
Much of the controversy has centered on Republican state Sen. Patrick Colbeck, who has faced mounting criticism since Bridge Magazine published a report last week that described the revisions — of standards adopted by the State Board of Education in 2007 — as having a conservative bent, thanks to Colbeck and several other conservatives who were part of the process.
Colbeck clearly influenced the removal of language on climate change, the removal of “democratic” from “core democratic values,” and a change in language from describing the U.S. as a constitutional democracy to a constitutional republic. He also insisted that if there were references to civil rights for gays and lesbians and other members of the LGBTQ community, that the department include language about religious freedom.
But it’s unclear what, if any, role he played in some of the other changes that have sparked outrage — such as the Roe v. Wade removal and the reduced references to the NAACP.
Colbeck denies that he had a big influence on the outcome of the revision of the standards.
Democrats on the state board — which must approve the changes — are now pledging to push back against the draft. . Meanwhile, some members of the group that worked on the revisions also are threatening to withdraw their support. A change.org petitionhas also been started to urge the board to reject the current version of the draft.
The Michigan Department of Education is holding a series of “listen and learn” sessions about the standards across the state, including one Wednesday in Waterford. The public can also comment on the proposed revisions through a survey on the department web site — www.michigan.gov/mde. The final revisions, which will incorporate feedback from the public comment period, are expected to come before the board in August. The public comment period ends June 30.
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