REWIND: Lawmakers Push Unconstitutional Curriculum Requirements

In this issue History teacher Wendy Peer mentions the national dialogue around what US History should be taught, but this isn’t the only time lawmakers have attempted to push political culture wars into the classroom. In 1981, lawmakers attempted to bring ‘creation-science’ back to the classroom. Act 590 of 1981 would have required “balanced” treatment of ‘creation-science” if evolution was taught. The controversial bill was passed hurriedly in the last hours of the general assembly, drawing global press coverage and forcing a lawsuit which ended with the law being determined unconstitutional.

At the time, the Arkansas Educator said passage of the bill was the first time in history the Arkansas legislature defined an academic subject and dictated the content of a course. “This unusual action on the part of the Legislature sets a dangerous precedent, making the public school curriculum subject to political manipulation. AEA joined a group of 27 plaintiffs in filing suit to block the law, and several AEA members testified at the trial. Federal Judge William Overton declared the law unconstitutional after finding that “the evidence is overwhelming that both the purpose and effect of the act is the advancement of religion in public schools.” In 2021, the Arkansas House of Representatives passed a similar attempt to allow the teaching of creationism sponsored by Rep. Mary Bentley, but the bill failed to clear the Senate Education Committee.

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