Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.
House Bill 6520, introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives on December 16, 2020, and referred to the House Committee on Education, would, if enacted, create a commission in the state department of education to examine climate change in K-12 instruction.
The commission, consisting mainly of scientific experts as well as a middle school teacher and a high school teacher appointed by the governor, would have a year in which to review the state education standards and offer recommendations with regard to climate change to the state board of education and the legislature. The board would then be required to update the standards within two years, with state assessments and local school districts expected to follow suit.
December 17, 2020, was the last session day, and the 2019-2020 legislative session ends on December 31, 2020, so the bill is not likely to progress. HB 6520 is the twentieth measure aiming to support climate change education introduced in a state legislature in 2020.
