Public Meeting on Social Studies Standards Happening Monday
On Monday, January 11 starting at 8:30 a.m., the Minnesota Standards Review Committee will spend the day reviewing public feedback on the first draft of the proposed K-12 social studies standards and benchmarks. Here is the link to virtually attend via Zoom and the agenda, which shows the meeting wrapping up by 3 p.m.
Meeting outcomes include:
- Review public feedback.
- Based on public feedback determine what (if any) minor adjustments need to be made to the standards.
- Based on public feedback determine what (if any) major adjustments need to be made to the standards.
- Suggest changes needed to the standards and benchmarks based on the morning’s discussion.
The Center went through and compared the first draft of the proposed social studies standards and benchmarks to the standards and benchmarks currently in place and identified five areas of concern—noting the draft’s removal of important world history, watering down of U.S. history, and additions of new benchmarks with controversial and hard to measure language regarding bias, “whiteness,” and “persistent discrimination and inequity.”
A second draft is expected to be available for public review and comment beginning February 17.