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Ohio legislators on both sides of the aisle are hoping to change how students learn about things like government affairs and history.

On one side, Democrats and supporters presented their argument for changing the model curriculum for K-12 social studies in a Tuesday press conference, with members of education associations and minority advocacy groups pushing for 鈥榮 passage.

That bill would direct the Ohio State Board of Education to 鈥渦pdate鈥� the social studies lessons in the state by July 1, 2024, to include 鈥渁ge and grade-appropriate instruction in the migration journeys, experiences and societal contributions of a range of communities in Ohio and the United States.鈥�

Those communities would include African American; Asian American and Pacific Islander; Arab, African and North African immigrant, refugee and asylee; Appalachian; Jewish; Latin American; and Native American communities, according to the bill.

鈥淭his bill not only positively benefits students, but also the state as a whole,鈥� said Saanvi Gattu, a student at Olentangy High School.

As someone who emigrated from Mexico when she was an 8-year-old, Linna Jordan said she understands what inclusion means for students.

鈥淚t really is important for children to see themselves in their learning,鈥� Jordan said.

Jordan is now the president of the Hilliard Education Association, and said including the stories of all communities who call America and Ohio home is 鈥渢he most responsible thing we can do as a state.鈥�

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Mary Lightbody, D-Westerville, also has the support of the Council on American Islamic Relation鈥檚 Ohio Chapter, the Ohio Education Association and its Hispanic Caucus, Ohio Progressive Asian Woman鈥檚 Leadership and the Black Led Organizing Collaborative (BLOC).

A Republican-led bill that鈥檚 already seen committee activity since being introduced in March is , which seeks to create a 鈥渟ocial studies task force鈥� to develop academic standards for K-12 social studies.

Those studies have a specific model in HB 103, however, with the bill specifically targeting standards presented in 鈥淎merican Birthright: The Civics Alliance鈥檚 Model K-12 Social Studies Standards.鈥�

The Civics Alliance is a New York-based group which states in its mission statement preceding 鈥淎merican Birthright鈥� that it is 鈥渄edicated to preserving and improving America鈥檚 civics education and preventing the subornation of civics education to political recruitment tools.鈥�

HB 103鈥檚 co-sponsor, state Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, is listed as a state policymaker for the American Birthright Coalition.

The standards pushed by the Civics Alliance encourage student instruction that teaches 鈥淎merica鈥檚 common language of liberty, patriotism and national memory,鈥� and not a social studies 鈥渇illed with animus against their ancestors and their fellow Americans, and estranged from their country,鈥� according to the

鈥淭he warping of American social studies instruction has created a corps of activists dedicated to the overthrow of America and its freedoms, larger numbers of Americans indifferent to the steady whittling away of American liberty and many more who are so ignorant of the past they cannot use our heritage of freedom to judge contemporary debates,鈥� the alliance states in 鈥淎merican Birthright.鈥�

The Ohio bill is supported by conservative groups like the America First Policy Institute, as well as the Common Sense Society and the Freedom Education Foundation, Inc.

In a recent hearing for HB 103 with the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee, the American Historical Association expressed 鈥済rave concern鈥� about using the product as part of state curriculum, calling the idea of a 鈥減olitically appointed task force鈥� unnecessary.

鈥淔ew Ohioans will agree with the premise that the state needs more bureaucracy,鈥� the AHA told the committee. 鈥淔ewer still are likely to support the idea that yet another board with an unambiguously political mandate would streamline the already complicated process of crafting education policy.鈥�

The AHA said singling out the American Birthright model would 鈥渉obble students鈥� with a 鈥減leasant fantasy鈥� of history such as colonization by European empires 鈥渨ithout ever meaningfully engaging with any evidence to the contrary.鈥�

鈥淭hese standards are not the product of an evidence-based study; they are merely a risky, untested document that, if they were adopted, would impose wrenching opportunity costs on Ohio students, parents, teachers and schools,鈥� the group stated in committee testimony.

The bill is also opposed by the Ohio Federation of Teachers, the Ohio Education Association, Public Education Partners, the Children鈥檚 Defense Fund of Ohio, and the Ohio Council for the Social Studies.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Ohio Capital Journal maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor David DeWitt for questions: [email protected]. Follow Ohio Capital Journal on and .

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