GOP lawmakers want to make NC public school teachers post all lesson plans online

North Carolina lawmakers could require public schools to post lesson plans online, along with the name of the teacher who used the material in class.

The “Academic Transparency Bill” filed on Thursday in the state House would require public schools to post all lesson plans online “no later than 10 days after the lesson was given.” The legislation also would require schools to post information on materials they use to train teachers and information on outside speakers who talk to students.

House Bill 1032 comes amid a hyper-charged environment where conservatives have accused some teachers of trying to indoctrinate students with their political beliefs.

“A trusting partnership between parents, caregivers, and teachers is vital to student success,” Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said in a statement Friday. “Educators welcome genuine efforts to foster more collaboration, but student curriculum is already public.

“While teachers are already stretched thin, this bill will take precious time away from student instruction.”

Telephone calls and email messages from The News & Observer were not immediately returned Friday by the bill’s four Republican primary sponsors: Reps. Jake Johnson of Polk County, David Willis of Union County, Hugh Blackwell of Burke County and Allen Chesser of Nash County.

Charges of public school indoctrination

In 2021, the state House Republicans passed an earlier version of the bill that would have required public schools to post all lesson plans used within the past year. The bill died after the House didn’t support changes that were made by the Senate.

Allegations about teacher indoctrination have increased since then.

In 2021, Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson released the “Indoctrination in North Carolina Public Education Report,” the N&O previously reported. Robinson has reiterated his allegations about teacher indoctrination in his campaign this year to become governor.

Michele Morrow, the Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction, has also accused public schools of indoctrinating students, the N&O previously reported.

Schools would post teacher names with lessons

The bill has several changes from the 2021 version, such as now requiring lesson plans to be posted within 10 days of their use as opposed to only posting the lessons used in the past year.

Another change would now require the names of teachers to be posted along with their lesson plans. But the bill says teachers can request to have their personal title and last initial listed instead of their full name..

The posted lesson plans would include:

▪ The names of all instructional and supplemental materials, used with an electronic link to the instructional materials website..

▪ Any other materials used in a course, organized by title, and the author, organization or website associated with each material and activity. This would include materials created by the teacher.

▪ A brief descriptor of the course materials and a link to the materials, if publicly available on the internet, or information on how to request or a copy of the materials.

The legislation says it’s not requiring digital reproduction or posting of copies of the course materials themselves.

The bill would require the state Department of Public Instruction to set up templates for how the lesson plans could be posted. DPI would get $10,000 to enforce and oversee the law.

Who’s talking to students?

The bill goes beyond what teachers are saying in their classes.

It would require schools to post online information on each grade- or school-wide presentation, assembly, lecture or other activity or event that happens during school hours outside of a teacher’s classroom. This information would include a list of each presenter by name and organization and any course material used or presented.

Lawmakers also want the public to know how teachers are trained. The bill would require schools to post online a list of teacher and staff training materials used at each school during the current school year.

Teachers say it will create extra work

The legislation is already drawing a backlash from teachers who complain it will add more burdens onto an already difficult job.

“If they want teachers to do this extra work, they can pay the teachers for the extra time,” Janine Kube, a Randolph County high school science teacher, posted Thursday on X, formerly called Twitter.

Justin Parmenter, a Charlotte-Meckenburg language arts teacher, pointed to a recent state report showing how 1 in 9 teachers left the profession.

“Say fellas, you know how we only got 10,000 NC public school teachers to quit last year? Ya think if we pretend they’re all socialist indoctrinators and give them a bunch of extra busy work they don’t have time for we can get the rest to quit?” Parmenter posted Friday on X.

Some teachers complained how the law doesn’t apply to private schools at a time when GOP state lawmakers are sharply increasing funding for private school vouchers.

“The Republican representatives want public school teachers to post lessons online so that all of the unqualified unlicensed private school teachers can steal our lessons,” Kevin Coulter, a Wake County high school career and technical education teacher, posted Thursday on X. “Why aren’t state funded private school teachers required to post lessons online?”