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ILLINOIS
SCHOOL STANDARDS PROPOSAL PUSHES ‘PROGRESSIVE VALUES’ OVER DIVERSE
VIEWS, CRITICS SAY
Illinois Policy Institute/
Ben Szalinski
Illinois
educators may face controversial rules encouraging teachers to review
their biases and privilege, accept multiple views as correct and
encourage student activism. |
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The Illinois State Board of Education is set to vote on new
teaching standards in an effort to bring more attention to diversity issues and
minority communities, which is drawing critics who say they amount to political
indoctrination.
The “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards” will go before the
ISBE on Dec. 16 for a vote, and then to state lawmakers if passed. The standards
are a set of teaching requirements for kindergarten through high school
educators, which outline how they should approach diversity in the classroom and
make it a part of their curriculum.
Proponents say the standards are meant to bring more sensitivity to students of
other backgrounds. Much of the proposed language is vague but makes general
points as to what teachers should be thinking about. This includes requiring
that teachers have an understanding of how some groups in society have been
marginalized and the challenges they face because of that. In practice, they
will adapt their teaching methods to be more inclusive of traditionally
marginalized groups.
Teachers will be evaluated on these standards during their certification process
and in-school job evaluations.
“The reality is that Illinois’ students are increasingly diverse, with more than
52% identifying as students of color, and English learners making up the fastest
growing student population, while our teachers remain overwhelmingly white and
female,” said ISBE spokeswoman Jackie Matthews. “The ability to reach students
from different cultural backgrounds is an essential skill to succeed as a
teacher in Illinois today.”
But the requirements have sparked backlash from those who say they prevent
teachers and students from holding diverse points of view and this will force
everyone to follow one perspective.
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“This requirement will create potential conflicts
with the deeply held religious convictions of teachers, parents and
students,” said Ralph Rivera and Molly Malone of the Illinois
Pro-Family Alliance in Peoria. “Not all teachers would be able to
comply with the new standards without violating their consciences.”
Critics say the standards amount to indoctrination
of students and tell teachers how to think. They point to language
from the proposal that appears to eliminate diversity of thought.
The proposal says teachers should “embrace and encourage progressive
viewpoints,” which critics point to as justification for biased
teaching. Another passage has been criticized for allowing facts to
be tossed aside in favor of a person’s own truth. It states
educators should “understand and value the notion that multiple
lived experiences exist, that there is not one ‘correct’ way of
doing or understanding something.”
Other parts of the proposal that have drawn criticism include
statements encouraging teachers to review their own actions and
experiences for bias and privilege, counter typical cultural
narratives and encourage students to engage in advocacy.
It is not clear how this would look in the classroom or what would
be acceptable to meet these standards.
The new requirements would only apply to public schools in Illinois.
Private and religious schools are not subject to the ISBE’s
jurisdiction.
If the ISBE approves the proposal, it will then go to the Joint
Committee on Administrative Rules in the General Assembly. This
would open up a 45-day public comment period before JCAR votes to
uphold or stop the new requirements. If passed by state lawmakers,
the standards would take effect on Oct. 1, 2021.
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