Education officials address concerns over ‘radical’ ideology in classrooms | Illinois

(Centre Square) – Education officials are reacting to concerns about political activism, rather than education, in the classroom.

As the new school year is in full swing for most states, state and national education officials have been visiting schools in Illinois.

Ahead of a visit to Fairfield Elementary School in Springfield with Governor JB Pritzker and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Illinois-American Mary Miller, R-Oakland, released a statement saying Pritzker and Cardona oppose parental rights “and believe that young children should be indoctrinated with radical ideas. the politics of gender ideology in the classroom behind their parents’ backs.

“Parents should be responsible for their children’s education, not radical politicians like Pritzker and Cardona who think teachers should discuss chemical castration and sex reassignment with your child,” Miller said.

Shannon Adcock, founder of parent advocacy group Awake Illinois, said educators need to focus on education.

“I hope they start talking about literacy, skills and how they’re going to focus on academic achievement in the classroom, not political activism, not an ongoing war on parental rights. “, said Adcock in Center Square.

Pritzker said that despite state data showing some areas where math and reading skills were low, the state was educating children.

“We always want to do better. We want our kids to do better, and in fact, we’ve invested in that in the state of Illinois,” Pritzker said, praising federal taxpayer resources for public education.

On the issue of gender ideology, Miller said Pritzker and Cardona led efforts to force this issue on families.

“Pritzker and Cardona led the effort to violate Title IX by forcing our girls to compete against men in sports, and they want to force schools to allow men into girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms,” said said Miller.

Adcock echoed this and said there was a “war on biological truth”.

“Boys invading girl-only spaces, private spaces, this is a major concern heading into the fall and we will definitely be keeping tabs on whatever the Biden administration and the Education Secretary come up with. do regarding Title IX,” Adcock said. .

Title IX is the national education policy that prohibits sex discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving federal tax resources.

Cardona said such debates are divisive.

“They just want to disrupt what’s going on,” Cardona said. “When I talk to parents, educators and students, they don’t think about what she is thinking. They reflect on the opportunities available to them.

Miller also asked in her press release if the governor was going to require what she called “illegal COVID mask mandates.” Pritzker before denied that.

Later Wednesday evening, Cardona and Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders visited a school in Peoria.

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