In the next three years, all Missouri school districts must have a plan in place to annually instruct students about the Holocaust.
They must also designate the second week in April as "Holocaust Education Week" for grades 6-12.
The Missouri Board of Education received an update Tuesday on what steps the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Holocaust Education and Awareness Commission are taking to help districts meet the new expectations.
"It is important to understand that Germany was a respected, civilized and advanced country then under Hitler's leadership convinced ordinary people to go along with the killings of Jews," said Dee Dee Simon, chair of the state's Holocaust Education and Awareness Commission, in a presentation to the state Board of Education. "The Holocaust happened because of the words, actions and non-actions of ordinary men and women."
Simon added: "After the end of World War II and the collapse of the Nazi regime, 'Never again' became the cry of Holocaust survivors. Sadly 'Never again' has not yet become a reality."
The Midwest Center for Holocaust Education (MCHE), based in Overland Park, Kansas, serves the Midwest, including Missouri. It is helping contribute to the new educational trainings that Missouri schools will use.
“MCHE has had the opportunity to work with the Missouri Holocaust Commission as part of the curriculum committee working to support this mandate. Combining the best of what MCHE and the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum have to offer, and drawing in resources from other trusted sources, we are planning robust professional development for educators and extensive outreach throughout the state to ensure that students are receiving the highest quality instruction,” Jessica Rockhold, MCHE executive director and CEO, said. “We welcome the opportunity this creates in Missouri schools to reach educators and students with the lessons of the Holocaust. A quick glance at the news on any day tells us that it is a lesson that is pressing and relevant.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded 3,697 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in 2022, the highest on record since the ADL started tracking in 1979. They included assault, harassment and vandalism.
"Antisemitism, hate and Holocaust denial are on the rise throughout the world," Simon said. "Unfortunately, the work of the commission has never been more important than it is today."
Missouri lawmakers called for the creation of the commission in 2006, which is housed in the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The commission is supposed to be made up of 12 people, including nine appointed by the governor. However, only six of the appointments have been filled.
During the 2022 legislative session, lawmakers mandated all districts provide age-appropriate lessons each year in middle and high schools.
To accomplish that, DESE is creating lesson plans that will be piloted in up to 25 districts across the state during the upcoming school year. All districts must participate by the 2025-26 year.
"Those districts shall determine the minimum amount of instructional time that they deem is necessary for teaching about the Holocaust within their curriculum," said Cammy Goucher, a curriculum developer for DESE.
The Kansas City Chronicle staff contributed to this story.