Evergreen Position Statement on NC SB49 “Parents’ Bill of Rights” & HB 187 “Equality in Education”

Evergreen Community Charter School recognizes the importance of advocating for education and educators as a collective voice of experienced professionals. When our legislators take up bills that will affect our community we feel compelled to express our views plainly in the hopes that our voices, as experience educators and community members will be heard, and valued. Our school has a Legislative Committee reporting to the Board of Directors, this committee is made up of parents, faculty, staff, and community members. All Position Statements have been reviewed, drafted, and released by the Board with the participation of many voices.

We believe that the most impactful lessons for our students are those that are timely, relevant, and have the potential to affect real change. Therefore, seventh and eighth-grade students who express an interest in participating are included in these meetings. They actively participate in the process of discussing proposed legislation and drafting position statements. By fostering this collaborative approach, Evergreen Community Charter School strives to promote student engagement and a deeper understanding of the legislative process while living the educational ideals that we strive to achieve in each lesson.

Evergreen Position Statement on NC SB49 “Parents’ Bill of Rights” & HB 187 “Equality in Education”

Senate Bill 49 is titled “Parent’s Bill of Rights.” The majority of this bill restates laws and policies already in place in public schools. A small but notable part of the bill prohibits education on gender identity, sexual activity, and sexuality in grades K-4, requires that parents are notified before any changes are made in a student's name or pronoun in school, and allows parents the right to review their child's curriculum and object to course materials and books.

House Bill 187 is titled “Equality in Education”. It states that public schools “shall not promote that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex.... nor shall schools promote that an individual, solely by virtue of race or sex bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.” The bill further states, among other points, that schools may not teach that “any individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress,” that “a meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist,” or that “the United States was created by members of a particular race or sex for the purpose of oppressing members of another race or sex.”

Evergreen Community Charter School opposes SB49 and HB187 because they undermine the professionalism of educators, open the door for discrimination by denying representation in the curriculum, and expose youth to potential emotional and physical harm inside and outside of school.

Specifically, as to SB 49, we believe:

● The prohibition of “instruction on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality” in grades K-4 denies LGBTQ students and families representation in the classroom. Lack of representation can lead to identity development issues, mental health difficulties, reinforcement of stereotypes, unrealistic expectations, and feelings of oppression. These negative effects are true for the entire school community, especially LGBTQ students, and have long-lasting implications.

● The requirement to notify parents of any observed name or pronoun change by a student in school could lead to mistrust of the teachers and personnel, the isolation of some students, and a breakdown of the supportive roles provided by teachers. In addition, for some students, this could lead to unsupportive, and potentially unsafe, home environments. Currently, schools cannot change a students’ name or pronoun on official records without parent approval, but this bill appears to require schools to notify parents any time a student experiments with a name or pronoun change, or even talks about it.

Specifically, as to HB 187, we believe:

● Portions of the bill will curtail honest discussions about United States and world history. For instance, the bill would preclude instruction on systemic racism and privilege. The bill could preclude honest instruction on periods of history, such as our country’s use of slavery, and actual historical events, e.g. the Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787 that determined that three out of every five slaves was counted for determining the state’s total population for representation and taxation.

● The bill’s requirement to notify the Department of Public Instruction and provide public notification 30 days in advance of teaching certain subjects, putting on seminars, workshops, hiring speakers, etc. on topics identified in the bill, burdens schools and precludes educators and administration from meeting their students’ needs while undermining teachers’ experience, professionalism, and training on educational needs.

● Although the bill does not restrict “impartial discussion” about “controversial aspects of history” and “historical oppression of a particular group”, it would be extremely difficult, if not inappropriate, to teach subjects concerning historical and contemporary discrimination of classes of individuals in an impartial manner.

Specifically, as to both bills, we believe:

● Teachers are trained professionals dedicated to the safety and well-being of their students, in addition to teaching the standard course of study through developmentally appropriate methods. The requirements for preapproval of all supplementary materials undermines the ability of teachers to make curricular decisions in a timely manner to respond to student needs, interests, and current events.

● Much of the language in these bills merely restates laws and policies already followed by public schools, such as parents’ rights to understand graduation requirements, student & school report cards, opportunity to opt-out of certain data collection or sex education, non discrimination in curriculum, etc. This redundancy would create confusion and additional administrative work for schools.

● The legislation, as written, is so vague that it will create fear and confusion for teachers and administrators. The fear of litigation and loss of job/teaching license may limit the willingness to meet students’ needs and ensure representation of all families in the curriculum. Furthermore, these bills, if passed, may further deter teachers from seeking positions in NC public schools, which are already critically understaffed.

Therefore, Evergreen Community Charter School strongly opposes SB49 and HB 187.