Prairie State Wire

The tenets of critical race theory (CRT) are being taught in Illinois public school, despite assertions otherwise, the Illinois Republican Party said in a recent social media post.

The post came a couple of days after a draft proposal from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Review Panel, trying to decide how to spend about $350 million more from an evidence-based funding model approved by the legislature, was reported.

"The left claims CRT tenets are not taught in public schools (not true)," the Illinois Republican Party said in its Nov. 8 tweet. "Even if that were the case, it's definitely not for a lack of trying!"

The Twitter post linked to a Just the News news story about the draft proposal for implicit bias and antiracism training in schools, which will be considered by the full state board next month.

The draft proposal said it "would recognize that students of color do not inherently need additional supports by nature of their race/ethnicity, but that these students do face inequities because of historical and existing structures, and there is a cost attendant with working to dismantle those inequities through training on antiracism and eliminating implicit bias within schools and districts."

The draft also issued recommendations that include "interventions to have more explicit focus on racial dynamic, including equity direct approaches that offer concrete strategies for teachers’ behavioral changes in the classroom and increased bias awareness.

"While it is critical that all pre-service and in-service teachers be trained to engage diverse students, it is also imperative that efforts be implemented to properly prepare, hire, and retain teachers of color," the draft proposal continued. "A host of studies have found that racial-ethnic teacher-student match results in better teacher-reported outcomes for children, including engagement, motivation, social skills, and school attendance."

With only weeks before the draft proposal is heard before the full ISBE board, Illinois state House Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) said she already has constituents who are raising concerns.

"We still have students that aren't meeting standards in reading and math, so I think this is pushing a social agenda in schools that a majority of Illinois don’t support," Bourne said in the Just the News news story.

Bourne added that she sees a trend, especially following the controversy over culturally responsive teaching standards and new sex-ed requirements.

"The education requirements and recommendations coming out of ISBE have been more and more progressive, more and more pushing a social agenda," Bourne said.