By: Diane Benjamin
Unit 5 has gone woke. The Superintendent uses pronouns on emails.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion permeates the curriculum because Unit 5 hired Dr. Shelvin to indoctrinate the staff and students. Teaching a color blind society has been shelved in favor of the Marxist ideology of division.
Human Resources offered counseling to all employees after the Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs and Roe, in case they needed help coping with “trauma and unrest”. Illinois was unaffected by the ruling but Unit 5 virtue signaled anyway.
We don’t know where the $21,000,000 Esser funds they received were spent.
Unit 5 could have opted out of Comprehensive Sexual Education (like most districts in Illinois did), but they didn’t.
Unit 5 has 197 fewer students this year than last year.
The Illinois Report Card shows appalling test scores while claiming a high graduation rate.
The large salary increases employees received in 2020 have never been explained. Unit 5 claims they don’t exist, the salaries reported to retirement funds tell a different story.
I’ve done stories on all of the above. All Unit 5 stories are available here:
Below is the latest reason to vote NO. Mayor bike shop wants you to vote yes:
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A strong school system is needed.
Until Unit 5 returns to education instead of indoctrination they don’t deserve millions more.
School Board elections are only a few months away.
Elect better people and then we can talk.
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This is from the Illinois Report Card. It shows some of what Unit 5’s Equity Plan will use as a metric for success.
Unit 5 Student Achievement Results 2019 –
Percentage of 8th Grade failing students – (at level 1 or 2 from IAR testing – “F or D” in the past)
1. Math –
Black – 76% failing
Hispanic – 62% failing
White – 38% failing
Asian – 8% failing
2. Language Arts
Black – 63% failing
Hispanic – 47% failing
White – 25% failing
Asian – 10% failing
The below list of DEI efforts doesn’t cover the total scope of Unit 5’s DEI Department. The cost in dollars and manhours is huge and takes away from teaching core subjects. It is, according to them, a never-ending process, with no end goal.
For the estimated 75% of parents that haven’t heard of the Equity Plan this a little portion of what we are paying Unit 5 to solve student achievement problems, discipline problems (a backfire possibly?), and the push to turn our kids into identity experts and social activists.
What if they spent this money and time on focused subject teaching for students who are failing rather than social, emotional learning?
Unit 5’s countermeasure – Diversity Equity Inclusion
Hired DEI Executive level manager – Kristal Shelvin
Purchased Equity Planning System from Systemic Equity LLC – It appears that the structure and duties of Kristal Shelvin’s job were completely predefined by this organization’s radical Critical Theory Equity program.
Established DEI departments from teachers and administrators which include –
Systems (6 members), Teaching and Learning (8 members), Professional Learning (6 members), Student Voice Climate & Culture (8 members), Family & Community as Agency (7 members)
Established a 30 member DELT team (District Equity Leadership Team)
Established a 7-member Identity Training Development Group – (Identity Training?)
Established a 48 member “Trainer Team”
Establish SEAT team – Student Equity Advisory & Action Team – includes students, size unknown
Establish student discipline reporting system to decrease racially disproportionate discipline. All discipline given by teachers will now be reviewed by the Equity team.
Begin the process for the development of Diversity Clubs
Survey students to give teachers their direction on SEL lessons and discussions. (Student Equity Learning?)
Create an accountability plan for staff training in DEI. Database for review of who has been trained. Performance reviews?
Begin Equity based onboarding training for all new hires.
Hired full time Equity Family Coordinator.
Many additional policies, procedures, data systems, training and who knows what all make up the Equity focus.
This information came from Unit 5’s Equity Action Plan Quarter 2 Update and McLean Equity Action Plan Year 1+ available online.
If Chris Koos gave a damn about Unit 5 then why the TIF districts in his Uptown Utopia that have robbed Unit 5 our tax dollars? Not only that, these TIF districts are probably going to get extended when they’re set to expire. Again, let this sink folks. Unit 5 is asking for a tax increase to supplement my tax payments that aren’t getting to them. They’re shaking the wrong piggy bank for money.
Unwoke wish I could give you a “like” but WordPress and I don’t get along. It doesn’t work.
But I agree. People like Koos like nothing more in life than to think of ways to spend other peoples money, even if…. no, especially if, it’s on things those people can’t afford or don’t want or BOTH.
While Koos is correct about businesses locating or leaving, property tax levels play a role, not just quality schools.
I also agree about the TIFs.