In an about face, Louisiana's top school board Tuesday voted to take another look at new learning standards for the state's youngest students amid controversy on whether the benchmarks would allow politicized instruction.
The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education had twice approved the revised guidelines, including on Dec. 13.
But the board reversed course Tuesday after the proposed changes sparked nearly 600 public comments in less than a month through a public portal at the state Department of Education.
Also, House Education Committee Chairman Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, and seven panel members, in an email sent Monday to BESE members, asked the board to re-open the issue.
The flashpoint in the debate is focused on social and emotional learning for children from birth to age 5.
Backers say social and emotional learning is a key component to children developing a healthy outlook.
Critics say the topic is so broad that it would allow discussions on gender identity and other controversial topics.
The new benchmarks were recommended by a special 25-member task force after a one-year study. The members included experts, educators and parents.
BESE approved the revised standards 8-2 in August despite concerns from state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley and BESE president Jim Garvey, a Metairie attorney.
BESE again endorsed the changes 6-4 last month.
They outline how young children should develop, including literacy, and cognitive and physical growth.
Libbie Sonnier, executive director of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, led the panel’s work.
But Sonnier said Tuesday it makes sense for the group to revisit the issue and scrutinize concerns raised by the nearly 600 residents who commented.
She said doing so may bring up topics "that may not have come up through the year-long review process and the dozen or so public meetings held over the past two years."
Paige Lowery, who calls herself an education activist and who lives in Baton Rouge, told BESE the huge number of comments means the issue needs renewed attention.
Lowery said about 250 of the comments were made by parents or grandparents and that 92% of their views focused on social and emotional learning.
“That speaks significantly to the public wanting to be involved in the process and not being aware of what took place in May and June,” she told BESE.
Harris, who has criticized the social and emotional section of the benchmarks, said they needed reconsideration.
“We are concerned that these changes were made without sufficient input from stakeholders, including parents, educators and members of the public,” Harris and the other lawmakers said in their message to BESE members.
The committee was set to discuss the issue when it meets on Thursday at 10 a.m.
That item was deleted from the agenda shorty after BESE voted to have the task force revisit the issue.
Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, told BESE she backs the new standards as written but backed the motion to have them studied again.
“This is something BESE and the Department of Education should be handling and not the Legislature,” Freiberg said.
Freiberg is a member of the House Education Committee but did not sign the letter sent by Harris and others.
The standards were last updated in 2013.
Garvey, who has had concerns about the new benchmarks for months, said in December that he wants to make sure “racism is not taught in our classrooms and the oversexualization of our young children is not introduced into our classroom.”