House education committee advances bill requiring comprehensive Black history standards

Representative J. English, sponsor of House Bill 25‑11‑49, opened the Education Committee hearing by describing the bill as a statewide effort to require comprehensive Black historical and cultural studies in K‑12 social studies standards.

"House Bill 25 11 49 is a step toward healing, understanding and unity," English told the committee, arguing the measure would ensure students learn a fuller account of American history.

The bill would create a Black Historical and Cultural Studies Advisory Committee to recommend developmental standards to the State Board of Education and require the board to adopt and implement those recommendations in the social studies standards cycle. The committee adopted three sponsor amendments (L001, L002 and L003) that align the new standards’ timeline with the board’s six‑year standards cycle, require the State Board of Education to implement—rather than merely consider—advisory committee recommendations, and direct the advisory committee to coordinate with the existing commission that produced the state’s most recent history and civics standards.

Witnesses for and against the bill testified for roughly two minutes apiece under the chair’s time limit. Educators and advocacy groups provided the most testimony in favor, saying a dedicated set of standards would produce a fuller, more accurate curriculum and help teachers identify appropriate materials and professional‑development resources. "History is not something that's dead and buried," said Dr. Anthony Young, who testified as chairman of the Denver Center for African Art. Several Denver Public Schools staff and teachers described classroom and district efforts to expand coverage and urged statewide standards to scale that work.

Other witnesses and some committee members pressed for clarity about overlap with existing social studies standards and about implementation, payment for advisory‑committee experts, and enforcement. Priscilla Ron, a Denver Public Schools teacher who said she is a descendant of enslaved Africans, told the committee the state already has standards for African American history and asked how the bill’s new committee would differ from existing efforts; she also urged compensation for unpaid subject‑matter experts. Supporters said the amendments clarified timing and the advisory committee’s role.

Representative Phillips and Representative Garcia Sander asked about federal developments and whether the bill would be additive or integrated with current social studies standards; the sponsors and amendment language confirmed the measure would integrate standards into the social studies standards and align with the board’s review cycle.

After debate and the amendment votes, Representative Bacon moved the bill to the Appropriations Committee; the motion to advance the bill carried 8–5. The committee adopted L001 (timeline alignment), L002 (board implementation of advisory recommendations), and L003 (coordination with the history/civics commission and an evaluation of recent standards). No appropriations were attached in committee; the bill now goes to Appropriations for fiscal review.

The hearing record includes sustained testimony from teachers, school‑district curriculum specialists and community advocates, and recorded concerns from some educators and parent‑advocacy groups about redundancy, local control and whether the state should compensate advisory‑committee members.

The bill now moves to the Appropriations Committee where fiscal impacts and implementation details, including any needed funding for advisory‑committee work and professional development, are likely to be resolved.