Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 6, 2005 ILLINOIS MANDATES GENOCIDE INSTRUCTION

The curriculum is filling up fast!

Teaching the U.S. Constitution has already been mandated for September 17th (as reported in the May 26th Edition of CAT Tracks). Now, Illinois has expanded the already required teaching of the Holocaust with a mandate to include genocides around the world. At least they give us the flexibility of deciding when.

But, do NOT forget about those reading and math scores...

New law requires lessons on worldwide genocide

Associated Press

CHICAGO - Illinois public schools are now required to teach about genocides around the world, under a bill signed Friday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The measure expands the previous requirement that elementary and high school students learn about the Holocaust to include lessons on genocides in Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda, Sudan and Ukraine.

School districts have the entire academic year to meet the requirement, State Board of Education spokeswoman Becky Watts said.

"As we teach our kids the important lessons of history, we have to be sure that they understand that racial, national, ethnic and religious hatred can lead to horrible tragedies," Blagojevich said in a statement.

Glenn "Max" McGee, superintendent of schools in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette and a former state schools superintendent, said learning about genocide and other tragedies should be part of the curriculum.

"I think it is important for boys and girls to learn about these tragic events so that maybe they can make contributions that will truly change the course of history in the future," he said.

But McGee worried that the requirement could become an unfunded mandate from the state.

"I hope and trust that the State Board of Education will provide resources and some training in teaching these and it won't fall in the district's lap to develop units," McGee said.

The law says the State Board of Education may give instructional materials to districts to help them develop classes. Local school districts will set specifics on the classes for each grade level.

Richard Hirschhaut, project and executive director of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, praised the law.

"The new law affirms the continuing relevance of applying the universal lessons of the Holocaust to the tragedies of genocide in our world today," he said in a statement.