Mars Area School Board is taking legal action against Pennsylvania Department of Education related to its guidelines for teacher training.

“I’d like to make a motion that the Mars Area School District participate in the challenge of the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Culturally Relevant and Sustaining (Education) Program Framework Guidelines,” board member Megan Lenz said the board’s Tuesday, April 4 meeting.

The guidelines require that nine competencies related to cultural perspective and bias be integrated into new and existing teacher training, according to the state’s Department of Education website.

Board members have been weighing this decision since their last meeting March 14.

“Again, I’d like to reiterate my comments from last month,” Lenz said. “I think that the way that these guidelines are worded sets teachers up to be held accountable in a way that doesn’t provide significant amounts of framework for correction.”

Board member Sallie Wick, who seconded the motion, said she believed the guidelines violate the constitutional rights of teachers.