Ill. Board of Education gets blowback for rule Forcing Teacher to adopt Progressive views

The Illinois State Board of Education is proposing a rule that would force teachers to promise they would “embrace and promote” “progressive” views starting in October 2021.

The rule published in the Illinois Register on Sept. 11, titled “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards for all Illinois Educators,” requires that educators “embrace and encourage progressive viewpoints and perspectives that leverage asset thinking toward traditionally marginalized populations” (p. 14577-14584):

Culturally responsive teachers and leaders are reflective and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and how they impact others … The culturally responsive teacher and leader will: Understand and value the notion that multiple lived experiences exist, that there is not one “correct” way of doing or understanding something, and that what is seen as “correct” is most often based on our lived experiences … Recognize how their identity (race/ethnicity, national emotional ability, socioeconomic class, religion, etc.) affects their perspectives and beliefs about pedagogy and students. …

Critically think about the institutions in which they find themselves, working to reform these institutions whenever and wherever necessary. … Assess how their biases and perceptions affect their teaching practice and how they access tools to mitigate their own behavior (racism, sexism, homophobia, unearned privilege, Eurocentrism) … Know and understand how a system of inequity creates rules regarding student punishment that negatively impacts students of color.

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