McHenry Times

State Rep. Steven Reick (R-Woodstock) is among the state lawmakers objecting to the Illinois State Board of Education’s Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards.

Reick said that the direction is political, rather than pedagogical enhancement and this is not what education is about.

He sees this as a process to elevate social activism, focusing on harnessing political viewpoints over the mastery of basic education and skills.

The representative from Woodstock also noted that the proposed standard is requiring an individual to be politically motivated before being accepted as a teacher. This, he said, will make the massive teacher shortage become worse.

According to him, ISBE is imposing a standard that will require teachers to “embrace and encourage certain political viewpoints and perspectives. Not focused on educating and helping our students grow academically, and incorporate those same political viewpoints and perspectives into the curriculum,” and asking teachers “to go above and beyond what’s required of them to a level that may violate their constitutional rights.”

“This rule is not an improvement to education,” Reick said. “It's an attempt to interject politics into the classroom. The standards that ISBE wants to impose are beyond misguided. Requiring certain political viewpoints in our school systems is simply unacceptable.”