Student Demonstrations - HB0495

The story of education in the United States cannot be told without homage to the long history of students invoking their freedom of expression, speech, and assembly through peaceful and impactful demonstrations on school campuses. In the past few years, the amount of youth-led protests and walkouts has increased dramatically in the wake of a social shift towards civic engagement and social progress. Youth activists have recognized that social issues have plagued American society since its inception and will continue to negatively impact the lives of students if immediate action is not taken. Through this spirit of advocacy, younger generations have learned how to brighten their future by affecting the present, in particular keeping their government in check. Education is a student's fundamental place in society. When students witness an injustice and establish a platform that engages the attention of those in power, they can create a profound social impact. These platforms include assemblies, sit-ins, walkouts, and other demonstrations, all of which take place on school grounds. As the prevalence of student demonstrations increases, so does the opposition to suppress youth voices. School administrators have limited students' rights to speech by calling them disruptive, off-topic, or truant. The purpose of our organization is to advocate to establish protections for students' right to demonstrate in school.

The Maryland Student Coalition is responsible for leading the charge to ensure students' rights to peacefully demonstrate in schools. During the 2021 Legislative Session, the MSC advocated for the introduction of House Bill 753 which passed in the House of Delegates, but never received a vote in the Senate Committee on Education Health and Environmental Affairs.

For the 2022 Legislative Session, this legislation has been reintroduced and cross-filed as House Bill 495 and Senate Bill 519.

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2021 Bill

Major Points

2022 Bill

MGA Hearing

2023 Bill

Voter Registration Drives - SB284

Ingrained in the United States constitution is a core, fundamental right issued to all American citizens; the ability to have your voice heard through the democratic process of voting. Throughout our history, lawmakers have made strides in ensuring that everyone can have that right to vote. The ratification of the fifteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-sixth amendments, as well as the passage of the Voting Rights Act, demonstrated that it's not just imperative to guarantee such universal rights but also to establish universal protections upon them. But in the 21st century, those strides have come to a screeching halt and are beginning to reverse course. The progress we’ve made in guaranteeing equal access to the ballot box is being challenged all over the nation. State legislatures have begun waning similar actions first set precedent during the Jim Crow era. These undemocratic actions pursued are nothing less than steps towards destabilizing our sacred, democratic processes. In the State of Maryland, we must act by expanding the opportunity to register to vote in the institution that crafts the next generation of American voters; the education system.

Here in the State of Maryland, we’ve taken proactive steps since the 1960s in order to ensure everyone has a fair right and chance to vote. This includes the most recent passage of the Student and Military Empowerment Act. But even with federal laws passed and Supreme Court precedents set, the State of Maryland must now take an even greater step towards maximizing voter registration opportunities. That step is providing universal voter registration drives to every public high school in the State.

The purpose of this bill seeks to do two things: first, to increase youth voter registration, thus increasing participation, and second, to teach and encourage young people to be civilly engaged citizens. The data is clear that young people do not participate in our democracy as often as they should. And because of that, the State should use every tool at its disposal to boost such needed political efficacy.

The Maryland Student Coalition is responsible for leading the charge to bring this legislation to light.

For the 2022 Legislative Session, this legislation has been introduced and cross-filed as House Bill 201 and Senate Bill 284.

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Major Points

Bill Tracker

Diverse English/Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum - SB0116

Curriculum is the structured documents which are used to inform the objectives, assessments principles, resources and more of an educational institution. These core tenants work together to form what we know as the basis of K-12 education. As such, curriculum provides for localities and teachers in guiding students’ educational journeys and thus directs the formal learning process for students across the country for 13 years of their life. In recent years, sparked by growing social reform movements, there has been a call by legislators, educators, and most importantly students, for educational reform—for curriculum reform. Mirroring topical social movements, students across the nation are advocating for increasingly diversified curricula that educates students on the perspectives and lived experiences of Americans who exist outside majority demographics. Youth activists all over the country have begun to identify Euro-centrism ingrained in our history and in education itself within the English Language Arts and Social Sciences curricula, especially with minority authors and stories being underrepresented or nonexistent, and minority experiences being erased from historical teachings. As an increasing number of these activists and students find themselves unable to identify with the majority demographics of the United States, their cries for diversity are not only to broaden their non-minority peers’ education but also for representation in their educational material. In the United States’ and Maryland state education curriculum, there has been a historical lack of minority representation across disciplines and a consistent Euro-centrism which permeates educational material. As a student-led and education advocacy organization, we are seeking to diversify Maryland state English Language Arts curriculum to correct this unacceptable oversight.

The Maryland Student Coalition is responsible for leading the charge to update Maryland's English Language Arts curriculum to be more inclusive and represent the diversity of the students of the public school system.

In 2021, the Senior Associate Group of the Maryland Student Coalition worked together to produce this initiative, and led by Chair Vinay Khosla, secured a sponsor in the Senate.

For the 2022 Legislative Session, this legislation has been reintroduced as Senate Bill 116.

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Directors Testimony

Research

Senior Associate Testimony

Bill Language

Student Testimony

Secure Incident Reporting Systems

Maryland students face a wide variety of challenges at home and in the hallways of their schools. Within the interactions with their peers, students live through incidents of hate bias, bullying, and sexual misconduct. All of which are unacceptable in any setting. Public schools across Maryland have inconsistent, and in many cases nonexistent, systems to report such incidents. The National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics have reported that over 16% of secondary level students have reported being bullied in a Maryland public school. In Maryland, over 67% of reported Sexual Assaults are on those under the age of 17. These issues are present, and all Maryland students can attest their effect on the school environment. Despite this fact, a majority school systems across Maryland lack the systems for students to confidentially report their incidents.

Throughout the 2021 legislative interim, the Maryland Student Coalition partnered with Montgomery County Students Against Sexual Assault (MCSASA) to develop this initiative. The MSC has met with numerous legislators to discuss the potential of future legislation, and are finalizing talks to secure a bill sponsor.

"Establishing the Baltimore City Young Readers Program within the Division of Children and Youth of the Governor's Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services to mail free, high-quality books to certain children; establishing the Young Readers Matching Grant Program within the Division to provide matching grants to counties to support the establishment and operation of certain book-gifting services; and requiring the Deputy Director of the Division to administer the programs."

POSITION: Favorable

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