The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has agreed to rescind its obligation to schools to enforce instructional guidelines deemed “questionable” in a recently settled lawsuit.
Pennsylvania officials had asked schools to adopt a set of instructions on how to approach education based on the Framework Guidelines for Culturally Relevant and Sustainable Education Programs (CR-SE).
The guidelines require teachers to “design learning experiences and spaces that enable learners to identify and question economic, political, and social power structures within their schools” and to “design learning experiences and spaces that enable learners to identify and question economic, political, and social power structures within their schools” and to “design learning experiences and spaces that enable learners to identify and question economic, political, and social power structures within their schools.” This includes mandating “to destroy policies and norms.”
The Thomas More Society, a faith-based legal organization, filed a lawsuit against PDE in April 2023 on behalf of a group of parents and public school districts who argue that its mandate violates their First Amendment rights. filed a lawsuit against.
PDE settled the lawsuit in November and agreed to rescind the CR-SE guidelines.
“We are very pleased with this settlement agreement that forces the Pennsylvania Department of Education to rescind the state’s ‘Culturally Relevant and Sustainable Education’ guidelines. This is an important victory for teachers,” said Special Prosecutor Thomas Brace. The Thomas More Society said in a statement:
“Our agreement follows the department's efforts to inject 'woke' activism into school curricula across Pennsylvania, requiring educators to affirm their beliefs in these ideological tenets and impose them on their students.” “This is a victory against a blatantly ideological and illegal attempt,” Bless added.
Days after the settlement, the department released new proposals based on a new “common ground framework,” but schools no longer have to follow the guidelines.
Asked about the settlement, PDE highlighted the new guidelines in a statement shared with Fox News Digital.
“PDE is creating this guidance as an improvement on previously issued guidance by focusing on real-world issues that impact people in all areas of learning in all Pennsylvania communities: digital literacy, mental health, and trauma. We are proud to provide these resources,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The new guidelines encourage educators to “understand the importance of differences among marginalized learners and historically underrepresented groups,” including gender identity, according to the department's website. .
Additionally, teachers in the state are still encouraged to “create an equitable learning environment by challenging and debunking stereotypes and biases about the intelligence, academic ability, and behavior of historically marginalized learners.” has been done.
