This bill would amend Code Section 20-2-141 of the O.C.G.A. to establish a Curriculum Content Standards Advisory Council to advise the SBOE in creating and adopting world-class competencies and content standards. The council would include one curriculum director from K-12, three parents, one certified elementary teacher, one certified middle school teacher, and one certified high school teacher with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in core curriculum. It would also include two representatives from higher education, one from a technical college, one from the business community, two LBOE representatives or superintendents from LEA’s named by the House Education Chair, and two named by the Senate Education Chair. All representatives would have to have a four-year degree, be citizens of Georgia for at least six months prior to appointment and be willing to serve for free, other than expense reimbursement. Conflicts of interest would be prohibited, and the council would be as balanced as possible geographically. There would be a term limit of four years.

            Subcommittees would be established for each subject area with a long list of membership requirements that imply these would be additional members to the council. They would be charged with review of the standards in effect in Georgia as of June 30, 2010 to ensure they contain “clarity, rigor, content, depth, and coherence.” They would also be charged with collecting information from reviewing research, getting information from other states, and soliciting feedback from teachers, parents, stakeholders online and feedback from appropriate content related organizations, associations, and societies.

            Electronic copies of revised standards would be provided each LEA, and they would be posted electronically to the public. Each LEA would be required to notify parents that the standards are being revised and that they have an opportunity for feedback. At least one public hearing must be held by each subcommittee on the revisions.

            The subcommittees would submit the revised standards to the advisory council for review and finalization before forwarding them to the SBOE. The SBOE would be required to hold at least one public hearing in every congressional district and at an open hearing before a joint committee of the House and Senate education committees.­­­­