IL Senate Bill 4179 - Education

 Let me share with you a proposed piece of legislation (word for word) from the IL Senate Republicans.  Yes, either party can propose legislation but I think that any such legislation solely proposed by one party is ill advised.

Here is Senate Bill 4179 - "The legislation requires school districts to publicly post on the districts website, at least twice per year, all of the learning materials and activities used for student instruction, as well as the policies and procedures for review and approval of the materials and activities."

On the surface this appears to be a rather benign bill; perhaps even a positive one.    I'm wary of this proposed piece of legislation for a number of reasons.

- First, as I alluded to, above, a bill crafted by one party is often ill fated

- Second, the bill seems to assume that teachers aren't already sharing learning materials and activities as part of their every day work.    Teachers have always done this.

-Third, excellent teachers, for a variety of reasons (sometimes out of their control) must by necessity or choice alter learning materials and activities.   When this takes place are they then suppose to make the changes on the website?

-Fourth, making the above Senate Bill 4179 law simply adds another responsibility to a teacher's workload; a workload already often too burdensome.

-And fifth, though there are other reasons to oppose this bill, we already have principals, assistant principals, dept. chairs and district curriculum coordinators who are in charge of seeing to it that teachers are making clear to students and parents what is taking place with regard to learning materials and activities.   Bottom line...does the legislature trust these individuals, along with the teachers in the state, to do their jobs?

Thanks and have a good day, Dick

Punishing for What's Taught

So we have some new and possible state laws dealing with what is taught or not and the possible ramifications if a school, and by extension its teachers, don't heed the law.

Here's why I think this is an important issue to examine.

Students, like all of us, are different from one another.    We have different sexes, different facial appearances, different cultural/race backgrounds along with a whole bunch of other differences.  Heck, we cut our hair and dress differently.

This young and untested first year teacher (me) simply assumed a quiet, long haired student who sat in the back of the room in what 'seemed' a sullen matter assumed that this boy didn't care.   Turned out he was quite bright and was a positive force in the class.    Lesson learned!

Was he different?   Yes!  But there is nothing to fear if a transgender or LGBTQ is in school.    They are students who need to be treated properly like any other student.    The people in these state legislatures  passing these laws need to get over their fear of others because the students are somehow different.

Have a good weekend

Dick

States Dictating What is Taught in Schools

Below is a portion of an article entitled 'Changing America' which was posted on The Hill.    It is instructive in terms of what states are TELLING teachers, and by extension education what can and can't be taught.

These are important events that may well portend not just what can and can't be taught but will likely have implications what books can be used, curriculum design, funding and more.   I'm sure it will have much to do with the possible harm to students and teachers.

A House bill in Tennessee would ban textbook and instructional materials that “promote, normalize, support, or address lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) lifestyles” in K-12 schools. Another, in Kansas, seeks to amend the state’s obscenity law to make using classroom materials depicting “homosexuality” a Class B misdemeanor. Legislators in Indiana are working to bar educators from discussing in any context “sexual orientation,” “transgenderism” or “gender identity” without permission from parents.

Florida’s House committee passed Thursday an updated version of its Parental Rights in Education bill, HB 1557, to specifically prohibit “classroom instruction” on sexual orientation or gender identity for kindergarten and third grade classes, as well as in older grades if deemed inappropriate for students. Parents could also sue schools if they believe the school violated these laws, under the House and accompanying Senate bill. 

While Florida is currently a poster state for anti-LGBTQ+ curriculum laws, others are proposing and moving faster on farther-reaching bills. Oklahoma legislators have put five measures before its Congress that regulate how schools from K-12 to higher education teach LGBTQ+ issues. Two bills, SB 1142 and SB 1654, would prohibit librarians and teachers from distributing materials on or outright discussing “any form of non-procreative sex,” gender identity and “lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender issues.” ng “homosexuality” a Class B misdemeanor. Legislators in Indiana are working to bar educators from discussing in any context “sexual orientation,” “transgenderism” or “gender identity” without permission from parents.

A Couple of More CPS Names

Just a couple of more names of schools to aid to the thumbnail sketches I have presented over the past  couple of days.

Arthur Ashe - Mr. Ashe was a prominent professional tennis player who blazed a trail for black athletes particularly in tennis.   He won three grand slam titles and was the first black to win the Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and Australian Open titles.   He contracted HIV in the early 1990's and prior to his death set up a foundation to combat AIDS.

Pilsen Community Academy - Actually this school is NOT named after an individual.   The only Pilsen I'm familiar with is a city in the Czech Republic!!    So in all probability it is called Pilsen (around 17th and 18th Streets) as Bohemians settled here in the 1870's.  By the end of WW I many Mexicans came to live for employment opportunities.    Today this is a thriving Latino neighborhood.

Over the next few days I'll provide some additional insights into what is taking place in the schools and I want to tackle some of the degrading education bills in various states.

Have a good day,

Dick

More Names of Interest

As you can see over these past few days our charity works with a good number of CPS schools.   Here are two more that we are pleased to assist.

Chopin Elementary - Is named after Frederic Chopin a Polish composer and pianist of the Romantic Age.  He made few public appearance and most of them were in the small salons of Paris.   His style was twofold; first, based on Polish folk music and of the classical in the tradition of Bach and Mozart.

Fuller Elementary - Is named after Melville Fuller who was a lawyer and for a good period of time in the late 1800's/early 1900's was the 8th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.    He believed strongly in states rights and a very limited national government.    He sided with the majority in the historic Plessy v Ferguson case of 'separate but equal.'

As I often think of schools and the names ascribed to them, whether in Chicago or elsewhere in the United States, I often wonder if the students and larger community are aware of the people who have their names on the entrance to the various schools.

Have a good day,

Dick

What's in a CPS Name

 Here are a couple of additional schools we are honored to serve in Chicago:

Johnson School - This school is named after James Weldon Johnson who was known during the Harlem Renaissance for his poems, novel and anthologies.   President T. Roosevelt appointed him as the U. S. Consul to Venezuela.    Later on Johnson would serve as a professor at both New York University and Fisk University.

Jensen School - Is named after Jens Jensen who was born in Denmark and came to the U.S. in his late teens.  He was a prominent landscape artist who had much to do with designing such Chicago Parks as Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, Douglas Park and others.   Later in life he worked closed with Henry Ford on numerous projects.

Just two giants with their names attached to CPS schools.

Dick

What's in a CPS Name?

 Happy Valentine's Day and the morning after the Super Bowl!!!

I have a couple of additional names of people who have their names attached to schools with the Chicago Public School system.

Pickard Elementary - Is named after Josiah Pickard who was involved in education his entire life.  Initially he was Principal of Platteville Academy in WI and then he became the Superintendent of Pubic Instruction in WI.   Later in life Josiah became the 3rd Supt. of Chicago followed by becoming the 6th President of the University of Iowa.   Quite a career!!

Curtis School of Excellence got its name from George Curtis who was a prolific writer and orator.   Mr. Curtis became the political editor of Harper's Weekly.   Curtis was involved in education as he was one of the original members of the New York City Board of Education.    Curtis often spoke out in favor of African-American equality throughout the 1800's.

Have a great day!

Dick