Illinois
Illinois has been at the forefront of parent protests against CRT in K-12 education in 2021. Additionally, the Illinois Board of Higher Education has adopted a strategic plan that focuses on equity and sustainability. Illinois has gone at least as far as any other state in radicalizing their educational objectives to impose CRT at every level.
K-12 Education
Several parent protests of CRT in K-12 education have made national headlines in 2021. In June, a teacher sued the Evanston-Skokie School District over what she alleges are illegal CRT teacher trainings. (source)
In February, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) of the Illinois General assembly approved a radical new set of mandates for teachers that may be among the most draconian in the nation. As Stanley Kurtz wrote in National Review, “We’ll look at details, but the most extraordinary in a raft of outrageous dictates is that teachers must “embrace and encourage progressive viewpoints and perspectives.” Illinois is literally about to mandate that every one of its licensed teachers adopt progressive political orthodoxy and impart that ideology to students. I’ve seen some pretty extreme stuff in my time, but my jaw is now officially on the floor.” (source)
The new rules include “action civics,” a national effort to transform students into progressive activists under the guise of civics. In March, another superintendent came under fire for aggressively implementing a radical CRT training agenda (source).
Students and teachers who disagree with the agenda are afraid to speak out for fear of reprisals.
Higher Education
The introductory letter from IBHE for the strategic plan states, in part:
‘The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE), whose mission is to create and sustain a world-class educational system in Illinois that allows students from all communities and backgrounds to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams, respectfully submits the IBHE higher education strategic plan – “A Thriving Illinois: Higher Education Paths to Equity, Sustainability, and Growth.”
“IBHE’s work has begun to shine a light on the reality that not all Illinois residents have the same opportunities to thrive and significant gaps exist that disproportionately leave behind Black, Latinx, adult and rural learners.
“Weeks before the initial planned launch of the strategic planning process, the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives and the ways we all engage with the higher education system. In addition to the pandemic, 2020 was a year of reckoning as the realities of racism and injustice caused massive displays of protest and civil unrest. That reckoning caused colleges and universities, both public and private organizations, to recommit to the work of equity.” (source)