RALEIGH, N.C. — Even during her breaks in the year-round school schedule, Shannon Atako is lesson planning. 

What You Need To Know

  • The state budget proposal passed the House on Thursday. It now heads to the Senate

  • Teachers would need to post online what educational materials are being used

  • Parents can challenge any material they find "unfit" to students' education 

“You have to know what you’re going to teach, so that you’re able to be flexible. So many things can come up during the day," said Atako, who teaches at Brassfield Elementary School. "The students might understand something better or maybe not as well as you thought. It takes a lot of time.” 

But soon it may take up more of her time – if the state requires her to post her lesson plans, including every material used online.

“If we had to sit down and list every single lesson, video, link, material and book that is used, it would take away time from the work that really matters," Atako said. "From adapting plans to meet students' needs, from communicating with parents, from building relationships with students.” 

The provision in the Republican-backed state budget bill passed by the N.C. House allows parents to challenge material they find “unfit."

Related: N.C. House state budget proposal gets initial OK

According to the budget wording, that includes anything obscene or inappropriate to the age, maturity or grade level of the students, or not aligned with the state’s standard course of study. 

Atako says this could lead to important material being questioned. 

“I teach second grade and part of what I teach in the social studies curriculum is about culture and identity," Atako said. "How do you teach culture and identity without teaching about things such as race, what race is or acknowledging that there are different religions that exist?"

She says teachers should be trusted to help children explore their curiosity.

“The workload has already gotten heavier, and this bill would add one more thing to our plates, at a time when so many teachers are already leaving the profession is unsustainable," Atako said.

Parents who side with Republicans on this issue say they have a right to know what their kids are being taught.

“Parental input on what’s being taught in the classroom is essential," said Bob Luebke, director of the Center for Effective Education at the conservative John Locke Foundation. "Schools should want parental input. I think a lot of these issues, these contentious would subside if parents knew what was being taught in the classroom.”