103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1633

 

Introduced 2/1/2023, by Rep. Maurice A. West, II

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
105 ILCS 5/2-3.191
105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new
105 ILCS 5/22-95 new
105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new
105 ILCS 5/27-20.3  from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.3
105 ILCS 5/27-21  from Ch. 122, par. 27-21

    Amends the School Code. Provides that the State Education Equity Committee shall include a member from an organization that works for economic, educational, and social progress for Native Americans and promotes strong sustainable communities through advocacy, collaboration, and innovation. Requires the State Superintendent of Education to convene a Native American Curriculum Advisory Council. Creates the Native American Curriculum Task Force. Provides that the unit of instruction on the Holocaust and genocides shall include instruction on the Native American genocide in North America. Provides that, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the Native American experience and Native American history within the Midwest and the State since time immemorial. Provides that the teaching of the history of the United States shall include the study of the role and contributions of Native Americans and teaching about Native Americans' sovereignty and self-determination. Effective immediately.


LRB103 24964 RJT 51298 b

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB1633LRB103 24964 RJT 51298 b

1    AN ACT concerning education.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
52-3.191, 27-20.3, and 27-21 and by adding Sections 2-3.196,
622-95, and 27-20.05 as follows:
 
7    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.191)
8    Sec. 2-3.191. State Education Equity Committee.
9    (a) The General Assembly finds that this State has an
10urgent and collective responsibility to achieve educational
11equity by ensuring that all policies, programs, and practices
12affirm the strengths that each and every child brings with
13diverse backgrounds and life experiences and by delivering the
14comprehensive support, programs, and educational opportunities
15children need to succeed.
16    (b) The State Education Equity Committee is created within
17the State Board of Education to strive toward ensuring equity
18in education for all children from birth through grade 12.
19    (c) The Committee shall consist of the State
20Superintendent of Education or the State Superintendent's
21designee, who shall serve as chairperson, and one member from
22each of the following organizations appointed by the State
23Superintendent:

 

 

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1        (1) At least 2 educators who each represent a
2    different statewide professional teachers' organization.
3        (2) A professional teachers' organization located in a
4    city having a population exceeding 500,000.
5        (3) A statewide association representing school
6    administrators.
7        (4) A statewide association representing regional
8    superintendents of schools.
9        (5) A statewide association representing school board
10    members.
11        (6) A statewide association representing school
12    principals.
13        (7) A school district serving a community with a
14    population of 500,000 or more.
15        (8) A parent-led organization.
16        (9) A student-led organization.
17        (10) One community organization that works to foster
18    safe and healthy environments through advocacy for
19    immigrant families and ensuring equitable opportunities
20    for educational advancement and economic development.
21        (11) An organization that works for economic,
22    educational, and social progress for African Americans and
23    promotes strong sustainable communities through advocacy,
24    collaboration, and innovation.
25        (12) One statewide organization whose focus is to
26    narrow or close the achievement gap between students of

 

 

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1    color and their peers.
2        (13) An organization that advocates for healthier
3    school environments in this State.
4        (14) One statewide organization that advocates for
5    partnerships among schools, families, and the community,
6    provides access to support, and removes barriers to
7    learning and development, using schools as hubs.
8        (15) One organization that advocates for the health
9    and safety of Illinois youth and families by providing
10    capacity building services.
11        (16) An organization dedicated to advocating for
12    public policies to prevent homelessness.
13        (17) Other appropriate State agencies as determined by
14    the State Superintendent.
15        (18) An organization that works for economic,
16    educational, and social progress for Native Americans and
17    promotes strong sustainable communities through advocacy,
18    collaboration, and innovation.
19    Members appointed to the Committee must reflect, as much
20as possible, the racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity of
21this State.
22    (d) Members appointed by the State Superintendent shall
23serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for
24reasonable and necessary expenses, including travel, from
25funds appropriated to the State Board of Education for that
26purpose, subject to the rules of the appropriate travel

 

 

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1control board.
2    (e) The Committee shall meet at the call of the
3chairperson, but shall meet no less than 3 times a year.
4    (f) The Committee shall recognize that, while progress has
5been made, much remains to be done to address systemic
6inequities and ensure each and every child is equipped to
7reach the child's fullest potential and shall:
8        (1) guide its work through the principles of equity,
9    equality, collaboration, and community;
10        (2) focus its work around the overarching goals of
11    student learning, learning conditions, and elevating
12    educators, all underpinned by equity;
13        (3) identify evidence-based practices or policies
14    around these goals to build on this State's progress of
15    ensuring educational equity for all its students in all
16    aspects of birth through grade 12 education; and
17        (4) seek input and feedback on identified
18    evidence-based practices or policies from stakeholders,
19    including, but not limited to, parents, students, and
20    educators that reflect the rich diversity of Illinois
21    students.
22    (g) The Committee shall submit its recommendations to the
23General Assembly and the State Board of Education no later
24than January 31, 2022. By no later than December 15, 2023 and
25each year thereafter, the Committee shall report to the
26General Assembly and the State Board of Education about the

 

 

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1additional progress that has been made to achieve educational
2equity.
3(Source: P.A. 102-458, eff. 8-20-21; 102-813, eff. 5-13-22.)
 
4    (105 ILCS 5/2-3.196 new)
5    Sec. 2-3.196. Native American Curriculum Advisory Council.
6    (a) The State Superintendent of Education shall convene a
7Native American Curriculum Advisory Council. The State
8Superintendent shall appoint members to the Council, including
9a chairperson. The Council shall consist of at least 13
10members of federally recognized tribes, members from the State
11Board of Education, representatives from teachers' unions,
12representatives of school district management, and individuals
13with expertise in curriculum creation. At least half of the
14members appointed by the State Superintendent shall be members
15of federally recognized tribes or documented descendants that
16reside in this State.
17    The Council shall meet at least monthly and, at the
18discretion of the chairperson, from the period following
19January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026 and at least
20quarterly from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2034.
21    Members of the Council shall serve without compensation
22but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses,
23including travel, from funds appropriated to the State Board
24of Education for that purpose, subject to the rules of the
25appropriate travel control board.

 

 

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1    (b) The Council shall make recommendations to the State
2Superintendent on (i) the creation and implementation of
3educational materials, including, but not limited to,
4developing primary sources that can be utilized across subject
5matter and grade level; (ii) the creation of professional
6development opportunities for inservice and preservice
7educators across grades kindergarten through 12, as well as
8for educational leaders; and (iii) the creation of guidelines
9for age-appropriate education on Native American history,
10sovereignty, and culture in this State.
 
11    (105 ILCS 5/22-95 new)
12    Sec. 22-95. Native American Curriculum Task Force.
13    (a) The Native American Curriculum Task Force is created
14to conduct an audit of every school district in this State, as
15well as determine appropriate educational resources, best
16practices, and professional development.
17    (b) The Native American Curriculum Task Force shall be
18composed of all of the following members, appointed by the
19Governor:
20        (1) One representative from the State Board of
21    Education.
22        (2) One representative from a statewide association
23    representing school boards.
24        (3) One representative from a statewide association
25    representing principals.

 

 

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1        (4) One representative from a statewide association or
2    union representing teachers.
3        (5) One representative from the Chicago American
4    Indian Community Collaborative.
5        (6) Two representatives from the Chicago American
6    Indian Community Collaborative who are members of a
7    federally recognized tribe, are documented descendants of
8    Indigenous communities, or are other persons recognized as
9    contributing community members by the Chicago American
10    Indian Community Collaborative and who currently reside in
11    this State.
12        (7) One representative with experience in creating,
13    developing, implementing, or administering a Native
14    American curriculum in one or more states.
15        (8) One representative from a public or private 4-year
16    institution of higher education located in this State who
17    is a historian published in the field of Native American
18    history.
19        (9) One representative from a cultural institution in
20    this State that works with Native American people or
21    cultural resources.
22        (10) Three representatives who are parents or
23    caregivers of students in grades kindergarten through 12.
24    At least half of the representatives of the task force
25shall be members of federally recognized tribes or documented
26descendants that reside in this State.

 

 

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1    Members of the task force shall serve without compensation
2but may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses,
3including travel, from funds appropriated to the State Board
4of Education for that purpose, subject to the rules of the
5appropriate travel control board.
6    The State Board of Education shall provide administrative
7and other support to the task force.
8    (c) The Native American Curriculum Task Force shall do all
9of the following:
10        (1) Recommend various educational resources to be
11    adopted to facilitate classroom lessons and discussions
12    about tribal nations in this State, including tribal
13    history, culture, treaty rights, government, socioeconomic
14    experiences, sovereignty, and current events, with an
15    emphasis on contemporary Native Americans in this State.
16        (2) Recommend guidelines for a unit of instruction and
17    lesson plans focused on why this State has a large urban
18    Native American population, including the history and
19    experiences of contemporary Native Americans living in
20    this State.
21        (3) Curate various primary sources from historic
22    tribal nations in this State, to be maintained by the
23    State Board of Education. The State Board of Education
24    shall provide those curated materials to school districts
25    to facilitate units of instruction and shall maintain a
26    database on the State Board of Education's website.

 

 

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1        (4) Recommend various educational resources,
2    information, and professional development opportunities
3    for educators focused on Native American life and culture
4    in the 21st century.
5    (d) The Native American Curriculum Task Force shall make
6recommendations based upon its findings to the General
7Assembly and to the State Board of Education in a report filed
8no later than July 1, 2024. Upon filing its report, the task
9force is dissolved.
10    (e) This Section is repealed on July 1, 2025.
 
11    (105 ILCS 5/27-20.05 new)
12    Sec. 27-20.05. Native American history study.
13    (a) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, every public
14elementary school and high school shall include in its
15curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the
16Native American experience and Native American history within
17the Midwest and this State since time immemorial. These events
18shall include the contributions of Native Americans in
19government and the arts, humanities, and sciences, as well as
20the contributions of Native Americans to the economic,
21cultural, social, and political development of their own
22nations and of the United States. The unit of instruction
23shall include the study of the genocide of and discrimination
24against Native Americans, as well as tribal sovereignty,
25treaties made between tribal nations and the United States,

 

 

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1and the circumstances around forced Native American
2relocation.
3    (b) The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and
4make available to all school boards instructional materials
5and professional development opportunities, including those
6established by the Native American Curriculum Task Force and
7the Native American Curriculum Advisory Council, that may be
8used as guidelines for development of a unit of instruction
9under this Section. However, each school board shall itself
10determine the minimum amount of instructional time that
11qualifies as a unit of instruction satisfying the requirements
12of this Section.
13    (c) The regional superintendent of schools shall monitor a
14school district's compliance with this Section's curricular
15requirements during the regional superintendent's annual
16compliance visit and make recommendations for improvement,
17including professional development.
 
18    (105 ILCS 5/27-20.3)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-20.3)
19    Sec. 27-20.3. Holocaust and Genocide Study. Every public
20elementary school and high school shall include in its
21curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of the
22Nazi atrocities of 1933 to 1945. This period in world history
23is known as the Holocaust, during which 6,000,000 Jews and
24millions of non-Jews were exterminated. One of the universal
25lessons of the Holocaust is that national, ethnic, racial, or

 

 

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1religious hatred can overtake any nation or society, leading
2to calamitous consequences. To reinforce that lesson, such
3curriculum shall include an additional unit of instruction
4studying other acts of genocide across the globe. This unit
5shall include, but not be limited to, the Native American
6genocide in North America, the Armenian Genocide, the
7Famine-Genocide in Ukraine, and more recent atrocities in
8Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan. The studying of this
9material is a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples
10from all nations to never again permit the occurrence of
11another Holocaust and a recognition that crimes of genocide
12continue to be perpetrated across the globe as they have been
13in the past and to deter indifference to crimes against
14humanity and human suffering wherever they may occur.
15    The State Superintendent of Education may prepare and make
16available to all school boards instructional materials which
17may be used as guidelines for development of a unit of
18instruction under this Section; provided, however, that each
19school board shall itself determine the minimum amount of
20instruction time which shall qualify as a unit of instruction
21satisfying the requirements of this Section.
22(Source: P.A. 94-478, eff. 8-5-05.)
 
23    (105 ILCS 5/27-21)  (from Ch. 122, par. 27-21)
24    Sec. 27-21. History of United States. History of the
25United States shall be taught in all public schools and in all

 

 

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1other educational institutions in this State supported or
2maintained, in whole or in part, by public funds. The teaching
3of history shall have as one of its objectives the imparting to
4pupils of a comprehensive idea of our democratic form of
5government and the principles for which our government stands
6as regards other nations, including the studying of the place
7of our government in world-wide movements and the leaders
8thereof, with particular stress upon the basic principles and
9ideals of our representative form of government. The teaching
10of history shall include a study of the role and contributions
11of African Americans and other ethnic groups, including, but
12not restricted to, Native Americans, Polish, Lithuanian,
13German, Hungarian, Irish, Bohemian, Russian, Albanian,
14Italian, Czech, Slovak, French, Scots, Hispanics, Asian
15Americans, etc., in the history of this country and this
16State. The teaching of history shall also include teaching
17about Native American nations' sovereignty and
18self-determination both historically and in the present day,
19with a focus on urban Native Americans. To reinforce the study
20of the role and contributions of Hispanics, such curriculum
21shall include the study of the events related to the forceful
22removal and illegal deportation of Mexican-American U.S.
23citizens during the Great Depression. In public schools only,
24the teaching of history shall include a study of the roles and
25contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
26people in the history of this country and this State. The

 

 

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1teaching of history also shall include a study of the role of
2labor unions and their interaction with government in
3achieving the goals of a mixed free enterprise system.
4Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the teaching of
5history must also include instruction on the history of
6Illinois. The teaching of history shall include the
7contributions made to society by Americans of different faith
8practices, including, but not limited to, Native Americans,
9Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, Christian Americans, Hindu
10Americans, Sikh Americans, Buddhist Americans, and any other
11collective community of faith that has shaped America. No
12pupils shall be graduated from the eighth grade of any public
13school unless they have he or she has received such
14instruction in the history of the United States and give
gives
15evidence of having a comprehensive knowledge thereof, which
16may be administered remotely.
17(Source: P.A. 101-227, eff. 7-1-20; 101-341, eff. 1-1-20;
18101-643, eff. 6-18-20; 102-411, eff. 1-1-22.)
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
20becoming law.