By: Diane Benjamin
This story could be the reason test scores are dismal in public schools: https://www.thefp.com/p/how-public-schools-became-ideological-boot-camps?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Everyone should read the entire article! Public Schools can’t be fixed. School Choice is the only way to fix education. Illinois won’t allow it since Springfield is captive to teachers unions.
Excerpts:
The answer has a lot to do with one of American education’s dirty little secrets: on any given school day in nearly every public school in the country, curriculum materials are put in front of children that have no official oversight or approval. It’s true that schools might have a state- or district-adopted curriculum, but that doesn’t mean it’s getting taught. Nearly no category of public employee has the degree of autonomy of the average public school teacher—even the least experienced ones. Teachers routinely create or cobble together their own lesson plans on the widely accepted theory that they know better than textbook publishers what books kids will enjoy reading and which topics might spark lively class discussions.
Not your child’s school or teacher? Wanna bet? A 2017 RAND Corporation survey found that 99 percent of elementary teachers and 96 percent of secondary schools use “materials I developed and/or selected myself” in teaching English language arts. The numbers are virtually the same in math. But putting teachers in charge of creating their own lesson plans or scouring the internet for curriculum materials creates an irresistible opportunity for every imaginable interest group that perceives—not incorrectly—that overworked teachers and a captive young audience equal a rich target for selling products and pushing ideologies.
Earlier this year, The Free Press’s Francesca Block broke news that PS 321 in Brooklyn, New York, sent kids home with an “activity book” promoting the tenets of the Black Lives Matter movement, including “queer affirming,” “transgender affirming,” and “restorative justice.” The book was not authorized for classroom use either by the NYC Department of Education or Brooklyn’s Community School District 15. It appears to have begun its journey into students’ backpacks at the massive “Share My Lesson” website run by the American Federation of Teachers, the nation’s second largest teachers union.
The site claims 2.2 million members—more than half of all U.S. public school teachers—and hosts “more than 420,000 resources” that have been “downloaded more than 16 million times.”
Not holding politicians and school accountable to reasonable standards, began our downfall.
Unions buy the school board members they want.
Teachers like Cory Beirne aren’t the main problem in Illinois.
In Illinois, ideologically based curriculum materials must be taught by law according to the General Assembly’s Administrative Code. The law includes various topics such as relative truth, collectivism, antiracism, intersectionality, systemic racism, white supremacy, oppression, risk taking for social justice, and gender fluidity. Teachers are required to promote these ideologies in their classrooms, including ensuring decorations are inclusive of all students (e.g., Pride and LGBTQIA…+ flags).
https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/023/023000240000500R.html
Any teacher who does not promote this ideology risks being fired and losing their teaching license. Parents, churches and brave teachers are the only remaining safeguards against our children adopting this worldview in Illinois.
Will parents someday be surprised to see the radical people their children have become? There doesn’t seem to be much interest at school board meetings so it appears that the majority of them will be very surprised someday, when it’s too late.
A D87 teacher added the 1619 project. That’s what the article is about. Illinois adds to the frap kids are taught
Yes Beirne and one other teacher, I think she is/was a teacher at NCHS both signed a Zinn Project pledge to teach alternate history even if the state outlaws it. But Illinois will not outlaw it they will probably endorse it if it hasn’t already.
Gee I wonder why private schools purportedly do better? Because they can pick and choose students. They don’t have to accept students with learning disabilities, autistic children or any child with reading difficulties. Public schools must have teachers who specialize in teaching children with learning disabilities, they must accept all students.
In fact most private schools can also expel students who aren’t doing well scholastically.
Absolutely no one on this forum would last two minutes as teacher. You have no idea of the dedication of teachers who give their free time, money for supplies, hours correcting assignments and test. They meet with parents, mentor students and encourage all their students. Yes, bash teachers. A job you wouldn’t be able to do because you have no clue.
You want to jam down Christian Nationalism down everyone throat. We have pluralistic society where there is no established religion. You want to white wash history, distort science, and inject religion into schools where there should be no religion.
Notice public school kids can’t read or do math? Nice try but private schools don’t have to be Christian even though behaviors tolerated in public schools don’t exist in Christian schools. I will let readers finish destroying the rest of your nonsense
@Gregg,
I agree that religion, including Christianity, Islam, and Collectivism, should not be taught in public schools as it violates the law. Teachers deserve commendation for their work, especially in today’s challenging environment where they are sometimes asked to teach things that conflict with their morality. This suggests that the state is violating the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment.
The ISBE and Illinois are pushing the ideology of equity, or CRT, into public schools. This ideology categorizes students based on their identities and treats them differently according to their category, as stated in their policy. Unit 5 endorses this ideology, but likely hasn’t fully implemented it as it goes against current laws and morality. Their Equity Audit even states that current laws and morality are insufficient for achieving equity. Implementing the core beliefs of this ideology could put Unit 5 in legal and moral jeopardy.
If the state wants to teach this new ideology, they should establish private schools for it. However, few parents would likely choose to send their children to such schools, causing this ideology to fail, as it should.
You do make some valid points, most of which explain why private schools tend to get better results usually At Lower Cost Per Student, or at least with greater efficiency for the experience provided.
You seem to think your points prove teachers are not the problem, when they prove teachers are not the Only problem. Yes, I’m sure there are some good teachers, possibly even the majority, but whether it’s one percent or one hundred percent, there are enough bad teachers that our children are suffering for it, and that needs to change.
Not everyone pushing for better education or educational accountability is a Christian Nationalist. For example my understanding is there are some very well-attended Muslim private schools in Chicago. The problem many people have is with Religious Wokeism being pushed down our throats – presenting biased and sometimes false history, distorting science, and injecting religion into schools where there should be no religion.
A prime example of that last is I was at a meeting where the head of Unit5 DEI talked about trying to eliminate policies, procedures, and outcomes that were based on historically mainstream assumptions. But she made it clear for anyone who was paying attention that she only wanted to implement things that were based on different assumptions that she liked better. Faith-based education, regardless of impact on the students – exactly the kind of thing you yourself say we need to get rid of.
I hope you can view this. There are many studies that show that school choice competition has a positive effect on public schools.
https://x.com/epochtv/status/1801656144730996999?s=46
Not trying to “pick any fights” here; sincerely just trying to get a pulse for how folks on here would define”School Choice”…
I mean, a legitimate logistical “wish list” so-to-speak. Beyond the rhetoric, please, practical solutions.
Are we talking vouchers/refunds?
Does school choice cut both ways in who would NOT be accepted at some places?
I’ve heard myriad bits and pieces – some interesting, others vitriolic; whatever the case, I just want to know what would satisfy those that blurt out “School Choice!”
Please be realistic and honest. I have many thoughts in this arena, but don’t want to make any assumptions and prefer to be versed on the opinions out there.
Thanks in advance for the continued source and, whatever the opinions, always appreciative of your dedication, Diane!
Money follows kids so parents can pick the best school for their child. It could be a science or technical school or religious. Kids shouldn’t be stuck by zip code. Public Schools need competition, we see how mediocre they are without it