Illinois Valley Times

Beth Findley Smith is looking for more individuals that see an Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) questionnaire the same way she does.

“As many of you may know, we recently became aware of truly inappropriate, politically-biased questions that appeared on an Illinois Valley Community College American Federal Government semester exam,” Smith posted to Facebook. 

Among the questions Smith and other critics are taking exception to are: 1) Explain why it is time to get rid of the electoral college, 2) Explain how far right wing media is negatively impacting American democracy, 3) Provide evidence that the 2020 election was legitimate.

“We have engaged the IVCC President and members of his staff to politely and directly provide tasks, tactics and a vehicle for external review of the curriculum by IVCC taxpayers,” Smith added.

With Smith charging that authorities “have not addressed our core concerns nor provided a curriculum review process by non-academics,” she said several concerned individuals planned to speak out on the issue at a June 10 board meeting.

“We are asking you to support this effort by attending this board meeting and doing so in a polite, courteous, and professional manner,” Smith added. “We are asking the IVCC President to address these concerns again before the June 10 board meeting. If you truly want a school system that represents your values while using your tax dollars, this meeting is the time and place to get involved.”

Some see the IVCC's teacher's questionnaire as part of a larger trend in education where the voices of conservatives are being muted.

Polaris Charter Academy grade school teacher Katy Heavener recently made news by promoting activism to her second-grade students. As part of her push, Heavener released a video of protests to her class on May 31 just after riots and protests spread throughout Chicago in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

“The reason that we went out into the street and made this message really loud and clear is to demand that the rights of black people are respected by everyone in our country so that black people can feel safe, happy and free to live,” Heavener told her class.

The rioting cost affected business owners an estimated $66 million.

In comparing the riots to children acting out, Heavener furthered warned her students not to listen to the news regarding the riots, defending it as being “part of protests.”

A member of the Chicago Public Schools system, Polaris counts activism among the curriculum it provides for its 434 students.

In another instance, a theology teacher at Loyola Academy High School was found to be teaching a ‘Privilege / Race and Racism’ course to students.

In one test, students were presented with such questions as “How do you benefit from white privilege, and how have you held onto that benefit (despite the harm it does)?”

Another question quizzed “What have you learned about the ways you specifically wield this privilege that do harm (whether you intend or not)?”