State Representative Brad Halbrook today urged local parents to get involved in efforts to block proposed new State Board of Education rules that would require teachers across Illinois to take classroom/remote learning time away from core subjects to focus instead on social activism.
The “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards,” not only requires teachers to promote progressive ideology but the new rules require teachers to essentially embrace “woke” ideals. According to Section 24.50 G) The culturally responsive teacher and leader will:
5) Embrace and encourage progressive viewpoints and perspectives that leverage asset thinking toward traditionally marginalized populations.
“In other words, it is not only the job of prospective teachers to teach far left ideology but for them to also EMBRACE far left ideology,” Halbrook said. “This is a violation of people’s First Amendment Constitutional rights. It is not the job of educators to ensure that students become the next generation of far-left radicals. What is happening here is wrong. Put simply, these new mandates amount to indoctrination, NOT education.”
Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said the proposed “Culturally Responsive Teaching” rules will be debated by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) at their meeting on February 16. The Committee, composed of an equal number of Republican and Democrat legislators, can vote to block their implementation.
Concerned parents and school officials can find JCAR members and contact them here.