Illinois Schools Prepare To Implement New Racial Harassment Policy By 2024

New Racial Harassment Policy: Senate Bill 90, the Racism Free Schools Act, was approved by the Illinois legislature to eliminate racism in schools. This law marks a turning point in the fight against racism, and its effects are seen in schools and the community.

SB 90, the Racism Free Schools Act, addresses racial harassment and discrimination in Illinois schools comprehensively. This law’s requirement that school districts establish clear rules by 2024-25 is its core. These rules will handle claimed race, color, or national origin harassment or discrimination to ensure no kid suffers racism in school.

Educators and supporters support this essential legislation, led by Brandon Thornton, a former Teach Plus Illinois fellow. Thornton, the 2021 East Central Illinois Regional Teacher of the Year, values diversity among educators and students. He said, “We seeded the concept for the Racism Free Schools Act, but not with that name. We were brainstorming methods to retain and attract teachers of color.”

The measure is spontaneous and sensitive to the demand for productive places for blacks and students of color while it awaits the governor’s permission. Well-defined regulations to handle racial harassment and discrimination are intended to make Illinois’ school system more inclusive and equal.

New Racial Harassment Policy: Empowering Students To Speak Out Against Racism

Senate Bill 90 emphasizes empowering students to speak out against racism and requiring school systems to adopt procedures. When discussing racial harassment or discrimination, Thornton said, “You never hear about sexual harassment cases between teachers and students until it’s things that have been, like, taken over by the law.” Be attentive.

The law protects victims of racism and handles racial harassment situations carefully. It shows the rising realization that racial harassment is as essential as other types of prejudice. These regulations are meant to guide students and educators to recognize the sensitivity of racial harassment.

Thornton stressed that these measures may prevent situations from becoming public spectacles. Schools may label racism as bullying, but children may not be satisfied. Senate Bill 90 attempts to improve school response to racial harassment and make kids safer by setting clear criteria.

Teach Plus Illinois: Advocating For Change

Senate Bill 90’s approval is a huge triumph for Illinois and Teach Plus Illinois, a nationwide organization with local branches in Illinois. The organization enables teachers to influence legislation and policy via classroom experiences.

Teachers may advocate for necessary educational policy reforms, like Teach Plus Illinois did for the Racism Free Schools Act. Former Teach Plus Illinois fellow Brandon Thornton applauded the organization’s aim of preparing teachers to be policymakers, reflecting on his incredible journey from the classroom to policymaking. He remarked, “I didn’t understand their aim of teaching instructors policymaking. You don’t teach to alter policy. That opens the door for Teach Plus Illinois’s ideas.”

SB 90 shows that educators can shape anti-racism education legislation. It reminds educators that working together and fighting for change may improve the lives of Black and other kids of color in Illinois.

Sb 90 And Its Impact On Racial Equity In Education

Senate Bill 90, the Racism Free Schools Act, is credited for advancing educational equality. Its effects go beyond school policy and affect how Illinois kids of color learn. The law, which requires racial harassment and discrimination procedures, is supposed to promote classroom inclusion and justice.

A significant result of SB 90 is a more varied and representative teaching staff. Former Teach Plus Illinois fellow Brandon Thornton said, “We were just thinking of ways to retain and recruit teachers of color.” Diversity in the classroom may be transformative for students, particularly marginalized groups. Teachers who look like them may motivate pupils to become teachers and make them feel respected.

SB 90 requires age-appropriate rules so all pupils may comprehend and benefit from them. This shows a dedication to fighting racism and prejudice from elementary to high school. Students should feel protected, respected, and cherished while receiving an excellent education.

As SB 90 is implemented, the state’s efforts to promote racial fairness in education grow. Illinois is making significant progress toward a more fair and inclusive educational system for all kids by promoting teacher diversity and age-appropriate policies.

Accountability And The Role Of The Illinois State Board Of Education

Senate Bill 90 requires school districts to set policies and emphasizes accountability. Creating and maintaining a database of racial harassment and discrimination incidents will be vital for the Illinois State Board of Education.

This database will help document and analyze instances, revealing the prevalence and type of racial harassment in Illinois schools. It will help educators, policymakers, and advocates identify student issues and customize responses. This data-driven strategy supports keeping Illinois schools racism-free.

SB 90 also makes a district’s refusal to punish racial harassers a civil rights violation. This strong proposal holds schools responsible for immediately and effectively combating racial harassment. It conveys the message that racial harassment in schools is unacceptable.

The database and accountability emphasize the need for a comprehensive school racism strategy. Data collection and inactivity penalties are intended to establish an atmosphere where students may confidently report occurrences, knowing they will be handled seriously.

Read Also: Legislators Accuse UIC Dentistry Professor Of Employing Racist Imagery And Language

The Broader Implications Of Sb 90 And The Future Of Educational Policy

Senate Bill 90, the Racism Free Schools Act, was a turning point. It emphasizes the broader implications of educator participation in educational policy and racial justice in education.

This law shows educators how to advocate for policy change. Teach Plus Illinois, which empowers teachers to influence legislation, has demonstrated that educators can shape educational improvements. This accomplishment encourages educators, legislators, and advocacy organizations to collaborate on educational issues.

SB 90 also establishes comprehensive educational measures to counter racism. Illinois’s leadership in this vital area may inspire other states to eliminate racism in schools. The bill’s focus on diversity in teaching, age-appropriate regulations, and accountability offers a roadmap for national racial fairness in education.

A new law in Illinois will ensure that public schools implement at least one new anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy related to race and racism on campus.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate bill 90 into law on Aug. 4. The law, dubbed the “Racism-Free Schools Law,” aims to prevent so-called “education harassment” by mandating that schools keep track of discrimination and harassment and implement policies that ban such practices.

The bill was introduced by Democratic State Senator Laura Murphy and State Representative Maurice West. 

”This is a bill that would define racial discrimination, prohibit it in schools, and provide an avenue for some restitution and correction of that behavior,” Murphy told local news outlet WAND.

Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, the law requires Illinois schools to “create, implement, and maintain at least one written policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment based on race, color, and national origin and prohibits retaliation.” 

The policy must be in writing and publicly available in an accessible location like a public website or an employee intranet, as well as the student handbook. It must also be distributed to students and parents annually.

The law also mandates that schools implement a system to report incidents of discrimination or harassment. The system must allow the reports to be anonymous, and also protect students from “adverse consequences” because he or she filed a report.

Schools and school districts will be required to submit the total number of allegations of discrimination and harassment in a given year, and the status of those allegations. If a school or school district fails to report these incidents in a given time frame, the state Board of Education can level a civil rights violation against the district with the Department of Human Rights.