Bill Text: MI HB4961 | 2023-2024 | 102nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Education: curriculum; environmental literacy task force to develop environmental literacy model curriculum and report on the curriculum; provide for. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1159.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2023-09-12 - Bill Electronically Reproduced 09/07/2023 [HB4961 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2023-HB4961-Introduced.html
HOUSE BILL NO. 4961
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1159.
the people of the state of michigan enact:
Sec. 1159. (1) The environmental literacy task force is created as a temporary commission described in section 4 of article V of the state constitution of 1963. The department shall provide staffing and support for the environmental literacy task force.
(2) The environmental literacy task force must consist of 13 members as follows:
(a) The superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent of public instruction's designee.
(b) The director of the department of environment, Great Lakes, and energy or the director's designee.
(c) One member representing the water resources division of the department of environment, Great Lakes, and energy, as appointed by the director of that department.
(d) The director of the department of natural resources or the director's designee.
(e) One member representing the parks and recreation division of the department of natural resources, as appointed by the director of that department.
(f) One member representing the wildlife division of the department of natural resources, as appointed by the director of that department.
(g) One member representing the forest resources division of the department of natural resources, as appointed by the director of that department.
(h) One member representing the fisheries division of the department of natural resources, as appointed by the director of that department.
(i) The director of the department of agriculture and rural development or the director's designee.
(j) A representative of the Michigan Science Teachers Association.
(k) A representative of the Michigan Association of School Administrators.
(l) A representative of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals.
(m) A representative of the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association.
(3) The members first appointed to or serving as designees on the environmental literacy task force must be appointed or designated within 30 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section.
(4) If a vacancy occurs on the environmental literacy task force, the official who appointed or designated the member who vacated shall appoint or designate a replacement in the same manner as the original appointment or designation.
(5) The superintendent of public instruction shall call the first meeting of the environmental literacy task force within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section. At the first meeting, the environmental literacy task force shall elect from among its members a chairperson and other officers as it considers necessary or appropriate. After the first meeting, the environmental literacy task force shall meet at times and places specified by the chairperson or a majority of its members.
(6) A majority of the members of the environmental literacy task force constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the environmental literacy task force. A majority of the members present and serving are required for official action of the environmental literacy task force.
(7) The business that the environmental literacy task force performs must be conducted at a public meeting of the environmental literacy task force held in compliance with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.
(8) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by the environmental literacy task force in the performance of an official function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
(9) Members of the environmental literacy task force serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties as members of the environmental literacy task force.
(10) The department, the department of environment, Great Lakes, and energy, the department of natural resources, and the department of agriculture and rural development shall assist the environmental literacy task force in the performance of its official duties and functions, including, but not limited to, providing the environmental literacy task force with advice and information that is not protected as confidential under applicable law.
(11) The environmental literacy task force shall do all of the following:
(a) Develop an environmental literacy model curriculum designed to accomplish the following goals:
(i) Prepare students for understanding and addressing environmental challenges of this state and the United States, including the relationship of the environment to national security, energy sources, climate change, health risks, and natural disasters.
(ii) Contribute to students' healthy lifestyles by making outdoor experiences part of the regular school curriculum and creating programs that promote healthy lifestyles through outdoor recreation and proper nutrition.
(iii) Create opportunities for enhanced and ongoing professional development of teachers that improves teachers' knowledge of environmental issues and teaching skills related to those issues in settings inside and outside of the classroom.
(iv) Recommend improvements to existing environmental curricula, including the Michigan environmental education curriculum support, Michigan environmental literacy plan, and next generation science standards. The environmental literacy task force shall assess the extent to which the existing curricula are implemented in this state, address environmental literacy, and meet literacy goals.
(v) Teach students about 21st century jobs, growing industries, and ways to protect and improve the environment by including in the model curriculum instruction on alternative energy, renewable fuels, material science, energy-saving technology, low-impact development, and buildings certified in leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) or buildings meeting a substantially similar standard.
(b) Identify and make recommendations on all of the following to achieve the goals of the environmental literacy model curriculum:
(i) Applicable academic content standards, content areas, and courses or subjects.
(ii) The relationship between the environmental literacy model curriculum and high school graduation requirements.
(iii) Standards used by the department to measure the environmental literacy of students.
(iv) Professional development programs that improve teachers' knowledge of environmental issues and teaching skills relating to those issues in settings inside and outside of the classroom.
(v) Definitions for key terms that must be addressed in the environmental literacy model curriculum, including the following terms:
(A) Environmental literacy.
(B) Climate change.
(C) Healthy lifestyle.
(vi) How to implement the environmental literacy model curriculum, including recommendations regarding funding sources and other necessary supports.
(vii) How to encourage educational agencies and schools to participate in programs that do the following:
(A) Improve teachers' knowledge of environmental issues and teaching skills relating to those issues in settings inside and outside of the classroom.
(B) Treat the development of teachers' environmental knowledge and related teaching skills as a career-long process that encourages teachers' intellectual growth and teaching proficiency regarding environmental issues.
(C) Develop a teacher training curriculum that focuses on environmental education and is aligned with applicable academic content standards.
(D) Allow students to directly experience the outdoors by providing environmental education experiences that are based on outdoor activities and that use outdoor facilities.
(E) Incorporate field-based learning, place-based learning, service learning, outdoor learning, or experimental learning.
(F) Integrate environmental education into the curriculum by training teachers and administrators how to use field-based learning, place-based learning, service learning, outdoor learning, and experimental learning and by encouraging and supporting teachers to use the training in the curriculum.
(G) Provide activities and programs that advance environmental education, including interdisciplinary courses that integrate the study of natural, social, and economic systems and the use of the environment as an integrating theme for a school curriculum.
(c) Seek input from a variety of sources to develop the environmental literacy model curriculum to ensure that the curriculum is based on equally weighted viewpoints in furtherance of critical thinking and analysis regarding environmental literacy.
(d) Before submitting the report under subdivision (e), in a form and manner considered appropriate by the environmental literacy task force, provide public notice of the environmental literacy model curriculum and an opportunity for public comment during a 30-day period. In addition, the environmental literacy task force shall provide individual notice of the environmental literacy model curriculum and the 30-day public comment period to nonprofit organizations and local parks and recreation associations that advance environmental education in this state and, as determined appropriate by the environmental literacy task force, any other interested person involved in forming or implementing policies regarding education, business, or the environment. After the 30-day public comment period but before submitting the report under subdivision (e) and as considered necessary by the environmental literacy task force, the environmental literacy task force shall modify the environmental literacy model curriculum and any information identified and recommendations developed under this section.
(e) After notice and an opportunity for public comment are provided under subdivision (d) but not later than 1 year after the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section, submit a report to the standing committees of the legislature responsible for K to 12 education legislation. The report must include the environmental literacy model curriculum developed under this subsection and any other information identified by the environmental literacy task force under this subsection and may include recommendations for legislation regarding the environmental literacy model curriculum.
Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.
