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Seven Illinois Republicans are holding a town hall at Christ’s Church in Effingham to oppose ISBE’s proposed rules. The sign says the rules would ask teachers to “embrace and encourage progressive viewpoints” and “divisive, far-left politics.”
Rep. Brad Halbrook is first up. He congratulates the audience for pressuring JCAR to kill an enforcement rule that would have given Governor Pritzker more power to punish businesses who defy COVID restrictions. He calls it “COVID fascism" to protect the state.
Rep. Chris Miller calls the ISBE rules "counter-cultural curriculum" that are "attacking our faith, attacking our family, and it’s attacking our freedom.”
He says, “One thing the enemy knows, if he can destroy the foundation, the family crumbles.”
He says, “One thing the enemy knows, if he can destroy the foundation, the family crumbles.”
Miller says, “Journalism is dead in America. What we see for the most part is propaganda machines... promoting leftist agenda.”
Rep. Adam Niemerg, a freshman Republican, takes the stage and rails against “social justice work" and "political activism in the classroom.” He notes the large crowd turned out despite the inclement weather.
Rep. Dan Caulkins says of University of Illinois staff and faculty, “They’re not ‘communists’ necessarily...”
Caulkins says parents "don’t want this crammed down their childrens’ throats.”
Caulkins says parents "don’t want this crammed down their childrens’ throats.”
Senator Darren Bailey says, “Truth is being tossed out the door by our Governor and the people that are attempting to be in charge of our educational process.”
"Whatever a teacher believes or thinks is going to be expelled in the classroom. Friends, that's dangerous."
"Whatever a teacher believes or thinks is going to be expelled in the classroom. Friends, that's dangerous."
ISBE superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala said last week, “Culturally responsive teaching and leading helped me improve the reading and math skills of every one of our student groups when I was a district superintendent and to achieve double digit growth among my students of color.”
Molly Malone from the Illinois Right to Life group says the rule "threatens religious liberties and rights.”
"Are they going to be taking their students to the March for Life? Probably not."
"Are they going to be taking their students to the March for Life? Probably not."
ISBE changed the word "progressive" to "inclusive" after public pushback. Malone says the rule is vague, but her time in Springfield taught her "progressive usually means pro-abortion, pro-LGBT, pro-Leftism, but we don’t really know for sure because it’s not defined."
The rules urge a teacher to "Recognize how [a student's] identity (race...) affects their perspectives and beliefs."
Malone briefly alludes to "critical race theory" but skips ahead and says she doesn't want to get into it, but says many people have problems with it.
Malone briefly alludes to "critical race theory" but skips ahead and says she doesn't want to get into it, but says many people have problems with it.
Here are the rules if you'd like to read them: https://www.isbe.net/Documents/23-24RG-P.pdf?_cldee=bmV3c0B3Y2lhLmNvbQ%3d%3d&recipientid=contact-8c2f2a65bbf6ea11a815000d3a5a7ad8-07f88d951ad545e88ac707ce8a0b3d7e&esid=cb452208-b664-eb11-a812-002248029c90
"You don't need to recognize everything a student brings to class in order to be a good teacher," Malone says. She closes by warning, "They (your children) will be indoctrinated."
Malone recruits teachers in the audience to add their names to a lawsuit. She plans to challenge the constitutionality of compelling a teacher's speech.
Ralph Rivera with Illinois Right to Life again pleads with any teachers in the audience to join their lawsuit because he and his fellow lobbyists don't have legal standing. They're fishing for a plaintiff.
Here is the literature the organizers distributed.
First woman in the crowd to ask a question expresses concern that these rules could ultimately lead to controlling curriculum in private or charter schools. Of course, that's not possible. Private schools don't fall under ISBE's authority.
Good question from the audience: how will the state enforce the rules? Caulkins accurately notes the changes wouldn't start until 2025. He says new teachers would have to take classes and pass to receive a license with the state.
At the college level, "You're going to have to accept this doctrine and be prepared to teach it," Caulkins says. "That's our fear." Rep. Blaine Wilhour inaccurately says private schools "won't be able to hire teachers who haven't been subjected to this curriculum." That's false.
"These teachers unions are way too powerful here," Wilhour says. He adds that the "public school system needs competition," and "That will right the ship and make everything better."
Just a note: the image I tweeted out promoted Senator Jason Plummer's appearance, but I don't believe he showed up. He's not on stage and hasn't addressed the crowd.
As a reporter who covers the legislature, I appreciate one slide in the Power Point that was dedicated entirely to how the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules works.
A man in a camouflage jacket takes the mic and identifies himself as a soon-to-be-former bus driver because he refuses to wear a mask while driving kids to school. "The mask is a control issue only, in my opinion."
He's right. The mask controls the spread of the virus.
He's right. The mask controls the spread of the virus.
A second person asks how they can recall Governor Pritzker.
Rep. Blaine Wilhour says the recall process is too weak, and says there aren't many options to remove Pritzker that aren't "...short of completely egregious," he chuckles. "And that won't even work."
Rep. Blaine Wilhour says the recall process is too weak, and says there aren't many options to remove Pritzker that aren't "...short of completely egregious," he chuckles. "And that won't even work."
Ralph Rivera with Illinois Right to Life opposes the ISBE teacher rules because he says it would force teachers to "embrace" a transgender child for who they are and that would go against his Christian faith.
A questioner asks how voters can block JCAR from doing things they don’t like. Rep. Wilhour correctly says off-mic, “Be more specific with your legislative intent.” (JCAR fills void where law is quiet.) Rep. Caulkins gets on the mic and says the rule-making process “is rigged.”
The State Board of Education issued this document promoting the Culturally Responsive Teaching Standards, with endorsements from two teachers unions.
