September 19, 2017, Introduced by Reps. Pagan, Wittenberg, Chang, Geiss, Yanez, Green, Moss, Ellison, Sneller, Rabhi, Sowerby, Clemente, Camilleri, Hoadley, LaGrand, Durhal, Liberati, Hammoud and Gay-Dagnogo and referred to the Committee on Education Reform.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled
"The revised school code,"
(MCL 380.1 to 380.1852) by adding section 1158.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1158. (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 shall consist of 13
members as follows:
(a) The superintendent of public instruction or his or her
designee.
(b) The director of the department of environmental quality or
his or her designee.
(c) One member representing the water resources division of
the department of environmental quality, as appointed by the
director of that department.
(d) The director of the department of natural resources or his
or her 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 his or her 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 shall be appointed or
designated within 30 days after the effective date of 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 this section. At the first
meeting, the environmental literacy task force shall elect from
among its voting 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 voting 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
may perform shall 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 shall
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 environmental quality,
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 within and outside of the classroom.
(iv) Recommend improvements to existing environmental
curricula, including the Michigan environmental education support,
Michigan environmental literacy plan, and next generation science
standards. The 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 within and outside of the classroom.
(v) Definitions for key terms that must be addressed in the
environmental literacy model curriculum, including "environmental
literacy", "climate change", and "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 within 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
manner and form 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 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 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 this section, submit a report to the standing
committees of the legislature responsible for K-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.