The Pro-Family Alliance is coming out decidedly against an amendment that would provide teachers instruction on Critical Race Theory, equity training and other controversial race-related education standards.
The Pro-Family Alliance said the Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning amendment believes the amendment is vague and would end up offending important values.
“The proposed rule here is unlawfully vague because it fails to include any definitions or objectively measurable standards to assess teacher competency with respect to the covered subjects,” the Pro-Family Alliance said in a letter to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The group also believes that the amendment would threaten teachers’ rights to free religion, saying that it doesn’t allow everyone's ideas to be legitimized—only specific groups.
The group hopes that the rule will be dropped, but, if not, it asks that it be redrafted to define the terms of the rule, modify the language so that it does not require teachers to speak in ways that would violate their own consciences and address First Amendment concerns.
The amendment would compel teachers to adopt "progressive" viewpoints.
“Embrace and encourage progressive viewpoints and perspectives that leverage asset thinking toward traditionally marginalized populations,” the amendment reads regarding requirements for teachers.
The standards were purportedly created to help educators to have more competency when it comes to different cultures.
There are several components to Washington’s law, like social justice, civil rights, human rights, safe schools, social advantages, religion/spirituality, understanding culture and identity, culturally responsive classroom, curriculum and language.
Illinois’ amendment would not allow teachers to opt-out. It would require that in order to obtain a teaching license in the state, teachers must teach what critics of the amendment call progressive values.
The committee will meet on Dec. 15 to vote on the amendment.
Alerts Sign-up