February 18, 2021 – A legislative commission is upholding new “culturally responsible” teaching standards. The new standards, which have been pushed by the state board of education, aim to better prepare teachers for a diverse classroom and to look at how their own biases may affect their instruction.
The board’s legislative affairs director Amanda Elliott says that research shows that when students feel like they are included and understood, they are more likely to succeed.
“The standards are what excellent, experienced teachers in Illinois already do, but had to learn on their own or through trial and error over years. Our goal…is to help ensure that all educators are ready to teach diverse students on day one in the classroom,” said Elliott.
Opponents of the teaching standards argue that it forces political ideology on teachers. The new standards will begin to take effect in Fall of 2025.
