About 20 public commentators ranging from D87 alum, students, teachers and parents addressed the school board about Critical Race Theory and race curriculum, sex education and SB0818 and masking of students come Fall 2021.
Masking of children
Brien Huffman, parent and current home school teacher of her children asked the board to not only consider the financial fallout from mask mandates but to consider students with sensory disabilities.
Brein Huffman, a community activist and D87 parent spoke out against masking children in the Fall of 2021. pic.twitter.com/IGQSeX3bsp
— Cities 92.9 FM (@TomDavis929) June 10, 2021
Huffman was met with a commentator, Susan Weeks, who wore a Black Lives Matter mask.
“The reason that we are where we are with this pandemic is because people did not put masks on,” said Weeks.
Today, June 10 outside the McLean County Health Department parents protested ISBE and the masking mandates they are requiring in the Fall of 2021.
Sex Education Bill
Becky Swan, a District 87 alum, spoke out against the current bill SB0818. This bill has to do with sexual education. Swan spoke at the last meeting and she said she decided to come back to address Superintendent Barry Reilly.
“He (Reilly) said our comments were disappointing , they don’t represent the community and what was the other thing you said… they were a hard pill to swallow,” said Swan. “Instead of addressing our concerns you just wanted to call us disappointing.”
Illinois legislature passed a bill requiring any schools that teach sex education must use the National Sex Education Standards (NSES).
“This is an unfunded mandate that destroys local control over curriculum,” said Swan.
In the front row were about seven students who chuckled and sighed at the older parents and community members making public comment.
School board president Mark Wylie asked adults to remain civil and respectful of student commentators who up-roared occasionally. Many parents were holding signs in protest of SB0818 and Critical Race Theory.
One student said he hopes parents, like Swan, do not teach their kids about sex because it would be coming from strange parents with really conservatives ideas.
Kara Brown met Swan with a rebuttal that this book and sex bill SB0818 would encourage conversations about sexual assault. Brown shared personal experience of sexual abuse.
Race teachings at D87
Ty Smith, from Cities 92.9’s Cancel This, spoke out against Critical Race Theory and masks, Smith has two degrees in medicine and is a parent.
These commentators were met with opposition from mostly students and one 7th grade teacher and department chair Suzie Hutton. Hutton said Critical Race Theory is not being taught in schools.
Hutton said she wants to offer herself as a resource. She said she is unsure of the sex education bill. She then said her 5-year-old heard public comments, made by Becky Swan, she is going to have to explain.
“I do know my curriculum and I do know what my colleagues are doing. I invite you to ask us what we are doing. At some point in time if District 87 really is looking at Critical Race Theory and getting a good definition out there, that’s not based in social media and memes, let’s have that conversation and if you feel like we are letting you down with the curriculum we are actually teaching…let us know,” said Hutton.
Many students defended the school’s race and diversity curriculum that has three subcommittees devoted to it. One student said Critical Race Theory takes the weight of racism off the of the individual.
“So for the people here who say they have never been called racist, Critical Race Theory is not calling you and your children racist,” said Yvin Chin. “In fact it is doing the exact opposite. It is saying that we understand you do not have malicious intent. It means the people hundreds of years ago, who lived in a very different United States, set up systems that were intentionally designed so we did not know about them.”
Chin shared personal experience about her citizenship. Chin said we are all victims of the system, regardless of race.
@District_87 student speaks about her knowledge of Critical Race Theory at school board meeting last night. pic.twitter.com/UWY5iR7D6o
— Cities 92.9 FM (@TomDavis929) June 10, 2021
Also at the Wednesday, June 9 meeting:
Reilly announced District 87 schools would continue to follow guidelines from health officials, but the plan is to return to normal schedules for the upcoming year. He also announced graduation would be at Grossinger Motors Arena once again.
The board celebrated Multilingual students and discussed the success of the program. Over 700 students (15% of the student population) come from a home where another language is spoken in the home. “A lot of multilingual students we think about a homogeneous group of people,” said Kim Taber,
Coordinator of Multilingual & Multicultural Programs. The district will extend the program.
Pictured are students recognized and awarded the BHS Seal of Biliteracy. One student speaker spoke about her ability to speak both French and Spanish.
Director Tom Frazier spoke on budgets for the McLean and Dewitt Regional Vocational System and Bloomington Career Center. Frazier said BCC’s most popular program is the health science program. “We have a CNA nursing program,” said Frazier. “This coming year we had a wait list to take Medical Terminology so we added another full-time teacher to help alleviate.”
The board approved cancellations of summer meetings. They are set to meet again in August.
