ST. PAUL — State Sen. Gary Dahms, R-Redwood Falls, wants the Minnesota Department of Education to delay proposed new social studies standards that he finds “deeply concerning.”

In accordance with state statute, every 10 years the Minnesota Department of Education updates the state’s social studies standards. The thirty-eight member Minnesota Social Study Standards Committee released their first draft of their proposed changes late last year. The committee will be working on additional drafts in the coming months.

On Monday, Dahms reported that the Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee heard from Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker about the department’s new controversial proposed social studies standards. Dahms said the first draft of the proposed standards eliminates learning benchmarks for events like the American Revolution, World War I, World War II, and the Holocaust.

“We must ensure some of the most important events in our history are taught in our children’s schools. MDE must make sure parents and students have an input in the process of drafting these new standards,” Dahms said.

He co-authored a bill that would delay MDE’s changes until July of 2022, thereby allowing parents and students more time to review the standards and give their input.

The bill passed out of the Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee on Wednesday and is now awaiting a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee.

The department has a website explaining the proposed standards and announcing public meetings. For more information visit https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/stds/soc/.