Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

After lengthy debate, climate change curriculum bill passes House

  • K-12
  • by Maya Moore and Kathleen Megan
  • May 28, 2019
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Rep. Christine Palm

After a second lengthy debate in the span of six days, the House passed a bill Tuesday that would require climate change to be taught in public schools.

Rep. Christine Palm, a lead proponent of the proposal, championed its resurrection after it was cut from a bill last week that included a requirement for all school districts to offer a course in African American, Puerto Rican and Latino history. That bill was passed by the House last Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Democrats used another bill — one that was no longer needed because it focused on including Latino history in the curriculum — and added a “strike-all amendment,” recycling the bill to hold the climate change curriculum requirement.

The bill codifies the requirement for teaching climate change included in the Next Generation Science Standards. The standards, which are already adhered to in schools, were approved by the state Board of Education in 2015 and are part of state statute.

Republicans, who opposed the climate change requirement last week, spoke against it for hours Tuesday, expressing annoyance about how the bill was raised.

Rep. Doug Dubitsky, R-Chaplin, filibustered for an hour and 36 minutes by talking about the history of climate change and railing against the use of the Latino history bill for the climate change proposal.

“For the legislature to do a strike-all amendment on a bill called an Act Concerning Latino American Studies and putting in global warming instead, does a grave disservice to the people of my district,” Dubitsky said, “and the people of the proponent’s district and all other districts. There is no way anyone who is not part of this legislature would have known that this amendment would be attached to this bill with a completely different name.”

The vote of 102 to 44 was largely along party lines, with Democrats supporting it and many, though not all, Republicans dissenting.  The bill will now move to the Senate. If called and passed by the Senate and signed into law by the governor, the legislation would make Connecticut the first state in the country to mandate teaching the topic.

“By putting climate change education into state statute, Connecticut is taking the lead in empowering young people to be part of the solution to a problem they had no hand in making,” Palm said after the bill was passed. “Past generations, including mine, have despoiled our environment, and the current administration in Washington systematically strips out enlightened regulations that had been enacted to protect our land, air and waterways. The least we can do is give our students a chance to salvage what’s left of our natural world.”

Palm sparred with contenders for almost five hours in what largely became a debate over the legitimacy of climate change itself. Reps. Whit Betts, R-Bristol, and David Wilson, R-Litchfield, also voiced concerns that lawmakers should not be legislating curriculum decisions.

“This isn’t about climate change. It’s about overstepping our legislative responsibilities,” Betts said. “[This proposal] is a slap in the face to local boards of education, teachers, and to the kids, quite frankly.”

Rep. Charles Ferraro, R-West Haven, called  for a “fair and balanced” approach to climate change curriculum that offers an alternative to the theory that climate change is linked to  human behavior.

“If this legislation passes and climate change is mandated to be taught by each municipality,” Ferraro said, “I can only hope that the approach to teaching that science will be done in a way that allows our students to get a fair and balanced approach to all sides of the argument for global temperature increase.”

Palm countered such arguments saying, “The preponderance of peer reviewed scientists agree that climate change is caused by human activity. That is what the (Next Generation Science Standards) promotes and this is what science teachers currently teach.”

Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, said “I support this amendment, however I’m a little surprised to be in the chamber today hearing that the subject of climate change is controversial, when in fact it’s not.”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maya Moore Maya Moore is CT Mirror’s 2019 Emma Bowen Foundation Intern. She is a journalism and political science student at the University of Connecticut and has an interest in topics covering race and social justice. Moore began her undergraduate journalism career as a campus correspondent with UConn’s independent student-led paper, the Daily Campus, and has since interned for the Hartford Courant. Her work has also been published in the Willimantic Chronicle and the university’s premier publication, UConn Today. Moore is a New Britain native and currently resides in Mansfield, where she continues to write for UConn’s communications department.

Kathleen Megan Kathleen Megan wrote for more than three decades for the Hartford Courant, covering education in recent years and winning many regional and national awards. She is now covering education and child welfare issues for the Mirror.

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
1,500 Hartford school staff to be vaccinated this week at pop-up clinic
by Adria Watson

Vaccinations are taking place Thursday and Friday. A second round will be scheduled in coming days.

With billions in federal relief on the way to CT, legislators assert their role in deciding how to spend it
by Keith M. Phaneuf and Mark Pazniokas

With an unusual bill, state legislators are reminding Gov. Ned Lamont they have significant role in disbursing federal coronavirus relief.

As the push to reopen schools intensifies, Miguel Cardona and first lady Jill Biden travel to Meriden to show how this town did it
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas and Adria Watson

Cardona said getting the nation's schools reopened is priority No. 1.

Will getting teachers vaccinated get students back in school full time? It might not be that easy
by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Kasturi Pananjady and Adria Watson

Districts will have to convince parents and students that in-person learning is safe and that students won't bring COVID-19 home.

Senate confirms Miguel Cardona as U.S. Secretary of Education
by Adria Watson

Cardona was the youngest principal in the state of Connecticut.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion The public health bill no one is talking about, but should be
by Brian Festa

On February 16,  the legislature's Public Health Committee conducted a public hearing on two bills, S.B. 568 and H.B. 6423, both of which would eliminate the religious exemption to mandatory vaccinations for Connecticut schoolchildren.  The hearing was capped at 24 hours, depriving nearly 1,500 members of the public who had registered for the hearing their opportunity to be heard.  The vast majority of those who did testify, and who submitted written testimony, opposed the bill.  The committee is expected to vote on the bill as early as  today. 

Opinion Students need more resources, fewer officers
by Tenille Bonilla

"School resource officer" is just a nice way to say cop. But what students really need is more resource and less officer.

Opinion The Board of Regents’ changes must not shortchange its students or faculty
by Carrie Andreoletti, PhD

As a university professor and a lifespan developmental psychologist, I tend to approach my work from a developmental perspective. This means I aim to foster a lifelong love of learning and to help others find a sense of meaning and purpose, as well as confidence in their ability to reach their goals. My approach to higher education is shaped by my desire to provide the best possible education for my students. This is why the recent Board of Regents’ proposed changes at the four state universities have me worried.

Opinion How to close schooling opportunity gaps created by the pandemic
by Carol Gale

We ask school district leaders to trust your public servants whose daily work life involves assessing student needs and planning or modifying instruction to meet those needs. Listen to their voices, as we have, and allocate precious resources on interventions that will offer increased opportunities for Hartford students to succeed.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO