Colorado Board Of Education Receives Final Recommendations On Standards For Teaching Social Studies, Diversity

(CBS4)- A state law passed in 2019 requires teaching about American minorities in civil government. How that law will be interpreted is being considered.

The Colorado School Board met in Estes Park on Thursday to be presented with a committee's recommendations.

One question is what children should be taught in social studies regarding gay, lesbian, transgender and queer individuals and at what grade. There are 152 pages of revised recommendations overall with LGBTQ+ mentioned several times.

Angelika Schroeder, the Colorado School Board chair and a Democrat told CBS4, "We have children who have moms and dads, children with that only a mom and only a dad, children who have two moms and two dads and they are all family."

Some recommendations cross out the reference to LGTBQ+. Others keep it in. Some board members insist the subject should not come up to those in early grades.

Steve Durham, a Republican from Colorado Springs and state school board vice chair said in an interview, "Parents of five, six, seven-year-old children believe discussion of sexuality and that level in a public setting with their children is inappropriate."

There are standards for each grade level. In those listed for fourth grade, "How do diverse opinions affect a community?"

Minorities are crossed off. But in another passage minorities are referenced.

During the board meeting, Rebecca McClellan a state school board member noted in regards to the Civil War, "There's a red line through the words Asian Americans so there actually has been some coverage of the contributions of Asian Americans."

A vote is to be taken before the end of the year. In the end in Colorado, each school district can teach beyond what is in the basic standards.