By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – A controversial proposal for “culturally responsive” teaching standards has made it through a legislative rule-making board. This will now be part of teacher training.

Opponents made this out to be some kind of thought police by which teachers would have to admit bias. State Rep. Andre Thapedi (D-Chicago) asked the state school board’s Amanda Elliott, “Are these rules designed to in any way affect potential internal biases in terms of developing their craft?”

“It is meant for teachers to recognize those biases and how they may affect their teaching practices,” said Elliott, the Illinois State Board of Education’s executive director of legislative affairs. “We want to make sure they are accepting all students and making sure the students feel welcome in their classroom.”

Elliott said the hope is to recruit minority teachers into what’s become a high-turnover profession.

An attempt to derail the rules failed on a partisan vote.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]