Prairie State Wire

Former Illinois State Representative Jeanne Ives has expressed concerns that Illinois may risk losing federal funding for universities by mandating the adoption of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) standards. She made this statement in a social media post on January 23.

"Here are the Illinois Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards," said Ives. "They are DEI on Steroids and violate Trump's EOs. They are stupid too. Illinois is jeopardizing federal funding to universities unless they get rid of these asap."

Attached to Ives' post were screenshots and a link to the Illinois Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading (CTRL) Standards. According to these documents, the Illinois State Board of Education adopted CTRL in March 2021 with the goal of promoting educational equity and inclusivity. The standards are designed to prepare educators to engage effectively with diverse student populations and address systemic oppression.

Screenshot of Ive's Jan. 23 post on X. | Jeanne Ives

According to Illinois Policy, there is concern that CTRL Standards could foster division by emphasizing identity and systemic oppression, potentially advancing political agendas at the expense of academic rigor. The organization fears that these standards might marginalize traditional teaching methods and overly focus on social justice issues, thereby distracting from core educational objectives.

A press release indicated that President Donald Trump has initiated actions that could lead to the withdrawal of funding from schools supporting DEI policies. On January 27, the U.S. Department of Education announced measures to dismantle DEI initiatives, following Trump's Executive Order titled "Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing." This action is part of a broader effort by the administration to eliminate DEI programs across federal agencies.

According to the Illinois General Assembly, Jeanne Ives is an American conservative politician who served as an Illinois state representative from 2013 to 2019, representing Chicago’s western suburbs in the 42nd district. In 2020, she ran for Congress in Illinois' 6th district but narrowly lost to Democrat Sean Casten. A former Army officer and West Point graduate, Ives continues her advocacy for conservative policies focused on economic reform and government accountability.