Teaching ideology

It's easy to be misled by the all the hype surrounding the new Culturally Responsive Teaching Standards. Unfortunately CRTS is substantially a vehicle for promoting political ideology including Critical Race and Gender/Identity theory under the umbrella of child health for K-12 students. Most schools are already doing an exemplary job of teaching about the importance of diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to succeed, and ensuring that they learn to treat each other equally and with respect out of love and not guilt.

Equally important, dictating the teaching of political ideology in the classroom impinges on parents' right to determine how, when, and where discussions on such topics occur, and violates the principle of political neutrality expected from teachers. The failure to pass CRTS in the Illinois legislature corroborates this view, and state school board action to accomplish this via committee is inappropriate.

Bob Stozek

Wheaton