PRINTER'S NO. 449
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
481
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, MADDEN, SANCHEZ, CIRESI, KENYATTA,
GUENST, HILL-EVANS, SHUSTERMAN AND BRIGGS, MARCH 16, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 16, 2023
AN ACT
Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
act relating to the public school system, including certain
provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers,
providing for "What is your Pennsylvania Story" continuing
professional development course; and, in terms and courses of
study, further providing for Holocaust, genocide and human
rights violations instruction.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 1221. "What is your Pennsylvania Story" Continuing
Professional Development Course.--(a) The department shall
develop and implement a continuing professional development
course on each student's "What is your Pennsylvania Story" in
anticipation of the United States semiquincentennial that may be
used by :
(1) Professional educators to satisfy the requirements of
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section 1205.2.
(2) School or system leaders to satisfy the requirements of
section 1205.5.
(3) Paraprofessionals to satisfy staff development
requirements under 22 Pa. Code ยง 14.105 (relating to personnel).
(b) The department shall develop the continuing professional
development course in a manner which provides professional
educators with information and strategies which can be
incorporated into instruction and general interactions with
students in order to encourage students to express who they are
as the United States approaches its semiquincentennial, which
shall include this Commonwealth's unique heritage of religious
freedom and relationship to the development of the Constitution
of the United States and may include students' experiences with
how the students and the students' families have navigated with
our democracy and religious freedoms.
(c) The continuing professional development course shall
enhance the ability of students to interact effectively with one
another as students in each county of this Commonwealth, and
students shall share "What is your Pennsylvania Story," which
may include the following:
(1) Awareness of a person's own cultural worldview.
(2) Attitude toward cultural differences.
(3) Knowledge of different cultural practices and
worldviews.
(4) Cross-cultural skills.
(d) The continuing professional development course shall be
research-based and include training on the following:
(1) Information and strategies, including listening to the
unique "What is your Pennsylvania Story" of students, to
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encourage students to:
(i) Become more historically and culturally aware of this
Commonwealth's unique heritage of religious freedom.
(ii) Reject ethnic, cultural and religious biases.
(2) Resolving disputes between students that result from
ethnic and cultural disputes.
(3) Resolving disputes between students that result from
religious biases.
(4) The dynamics of prejudice and discrimination that impede
effective learning and dialogue principles for effective
communication.
(5) Civil rights awareness.
(6) Intellectual, physical and behavioral disability
awareness.
(e) Continuing professional development course materials may
include the following:
(1) Materials that educate students by introducing the
students to various cultures through the stories that students
relay about who the students are and how the students' families
weave into the Pennsylvania and United States experience.
(2) Teaching aids that allow students to explore cultures
through food, art, books, movies, dance, traditions and cross-
cultural experiences.
(3) Resources that allow students to explore the cultural
experience of other people, the history, present-day experiences
and connection to the American culture and fabric of our land.
(4) Educational aids that provide students with information
on the historical and lived experiences of the inhabitants of
this Commonwealth, the inhabitants' experiences arriving in this
Commonwealth and development over the years.
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(f) By July 31, 2023, and each July 31 thereafter until
2028, the department shall submit to the chairperson and
minority chairperson of the Education Committee of the Senate
and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Education
Committee of the House of Representatives a report which shall
include:
(1) The number of professional educators that have enrolled
in the continuing professional development course.
(2) The number of professional educators that have completed
the continuing professional development course.
(3) The number of school entities that have implemented
classroom instruction in the "What is your Pennsylvania Story"
curriculum.
(4) Issues that professional educators, administrators,
students or the department have identified and need to be
addressed.
(g) The continuing professional development course under
this section shall be voluntary and offered online at no cost to
professional educators.
(h) The department shall review the training materials every
two (2) years and issue revisions if necessary to ensure best
practices in the field.
(i) The department may approve other providers of continuing
professional development course and staff development that meets
the criteria of this section.
(j) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless
the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
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"Paraprofessional." An instructional paraprofessional within
the meaning of 22 Pa. Code ยง 14.105.
"Professional educator." As defined in section 1205.2(o).
"School or system leaders." As defined in section 1205.5(g).
"What is your Pennsylvania Story." A student's understanding
and observance of who the student is and the unique lived
experiences that each student and the student's family bring to
the Pennsylvania story.
Section 2. Section 1554(a), (b)(1) and (c) of the act are
amended to read:
Section 1554. Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights
Violations Instruction.--(a) (1) Beginning with school year
2015-2016, each school entity may offer instruction in the
Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations to students. The
instruction shall be integrated within the social studies and
language arts courses of study required in accordance with State
Board of Education regulations. Instruction may also be
integrated into other appropriate courses of study.
(2) The [Holocaust, genocide and human rights violations]
instruction permitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall:
(i) Be age appropriate.
(ii) Be sequential in method of study.
(iii) Communicate the connection between national, ethnic,
racial [or], religious or cultural intolerance and the subjects
described in subsection (b).
(iv) Communicate the impact of personal responsibility,
civic engagement and societal response within the context of the
subjects described in subsection (b).
(3) School entities may utilize any appropriate public or
private materials, personnel and other resources in developing
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and implementing the program of instruction permitted pursuant
to paragraph (1). The Department of Education shall distribute
information about appropriate curriculum materials to each
school entity. School entities may utilize any curriculum that
complies with the requirements of this subsection.
(b) (1) The Department of Education shall establish
curriculum guidelines [no later than twelve (12) months after
the effective date of this section] to foster implementation of
this section by school entities. The guidelines shall encourage
the inclusion of all of the following subjects where appropriate
in the instruction:
(i) The breadth of the history of the Holocaust, including
the Third Reich dictatorship, concentration camp system,
persecution of Jews and non-Jews, Jewish and non-Jewish
resistance and post-World War II trials.
(ii) The definition, history, response and actions taken in
the face of genocide, including the Holocaust and any other
genocide perpetrated against humanity, including the Rwandan
genocide and other genocides committed in Africa, Asia and
Europe.
(iii) Human rights violations.
(iv) Anti-Semitism, racism and the abridgment of civil
rights.
(v) "What is your Pennsylvania Story" curriculum.
* * *
(c) [Beginning with the 2015-2016 school year, the] The
Department of Education shall make available, to all school
entities, in-service training programs based upon the
instruction provided for under subsection (a) and the curriculum
guidelines established pursuant to subsection (b).
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* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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