There are a plethora of controversial education topics in the news. We are concerned with unreasonable, controversial, and extreme views becoming mandated in public education, not only in Illinois but throughout the country and throughout the world.
We recommend viewing this short video that gives an overview of the push for gender identity, racial division, and anti-American themes running through school curriculum that are making schools “training grounds for political activism.”
If Illinois were to also embrace some of the standards noted below, would our D158 school board support programs such as these? Would they finally push back? We believe the board needs to be willing to fight for us and our students when lines noting what is reasonable have been crossed.
Critical Race Theory / Equity
- California’s new Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum teach students to recite prayers to five different Aztec gods, including the god of human sacrifice (in an effort to have less Judeo-Christian themes in curriculum.) Parents are now suing the state over this portion of the curriculum.
- An Ontario school district burned 4700 books from 30 schools in a “flame purification” ceremony so that the the school library books remaining on shelves would have “positive and inclusive messages about the diverse communities within our schools.”
Sexual Education
- Ohio mayor calls for resignation of entire school board after high school students are given book of writing prompts that include “Write a sex scene you wouldn’t show your mom,” “Describe a time when you wanted to orgasm but couldn’t,” and “Write an X-rated Disney scenario.” Students were told not to take the book home so their parents would not see it.
- A Minnesota school district instructed students to role-play as a gay or transgender partner in a sexual relationship. The curriculum asks students to outline a plan to secretly meet, and then “make a decision about whether to have sex.” One section for teachers outlines how they should react if straight male students “have a homophobic response” to the role playing.
Political Ideologies
- A hidden-camera investigation revealed a California public school teacher bragging that he had 180 days to turn his students into communist revolutionaries. His classroom was decorated with Antifa flags and propaganda promoting Mao, Stalin, and Castro, and Kim Jong Un. Update: The teacher has since been removed after parents flooded their school board meeting.
Lowering Education Standards
- Oregon’s new high school graduation standards dropped the requirement that students prove proficiency in reading, writing or math before graduation in an effort to the new standards for graduation “will help benefit the state’s Black, Latino, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color.”
(Original article is behind paywall – archived version here.) - A Minnesota middle school has eliminated the grade of F to combat systemic racism. “Grading can be one of the largest areas in which systemic racism and inequities are perpetuated.”
Education Trends
- Parents across the nation are demanding a say in the curriculum taught in their public schools. They are no longer content to leave it to so-called “experts” who seem intent on creating activists instead of skilled workers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders.
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