HR1098 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1098 LRB100 22072 MST 40301 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, 105 ILCS 5/27-20.4 requires that every public elementary school and high school shall include in its curriculum a unit of instruction studying the events of Black History, including the history of the African slave trade, slavery in America, and the vestiges of slavery in this country; these events shall include not only the contributions made by individual African-Americans in government and in the arts, humanities and sciences to the economic, cultural and political development of the United States and Africa, but also the socio-economic struggle which African-Americans experienced collectively in striving to achieve fair and equal treatment under the laws of this nation; the studying of this material shall constitute an affirmation by students of their commitment to respect the dignity of all races and peoples and to forever eschew every form of discrimination in their lives and careers; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Black History Curriculum Task Force is created to conduct an audit of every Illinois school district's history curriculum from K-12 to review the following: (1) Does the district's curricular material no matter the format contain a current unit on African American history, (2) At what grade school level does the district begin teaching African American history, (3) At what level does the district stop teaching African American history, (4) Does standardized testing include material on African American history, and if so, at what levels, and (5) What is ISBE's position on teaching African American history, what are their protocols, and what are their penalties if their instructions are not being followed; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall be comprised of the following members, who shall serve without compensation, appointed by the State Superintendent of Education:

(1)The State Superintendent of Education, or his designee, who shall serve as chair;

(2)One member representing regional offices of education, recommended by a statewide organization that represents regional superintendents of schools;

(3)One member representing school boards, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school boards;

(4)One member representing school principals, recommended by a statewide organization that represents principals;

(5)One member representing school administrators, recommended by a statewide organization that represents school administrators;

(6)One member representing teachers, recommended by a statewide organization that represents teachers;

(7)One member representing teachers, recommended by a different statewide organization that represents teachers;

(8)One member representing teachers, recommended by an organization representing teachers of a district;

(9)One member representing a school district organized under Article 34 of this Code;

(10)One member representing large unit districts;

(11)One member representing suburban school districts;

(12)One member representing south suburban school districts;

(13)One member representing a statewide organization focused on research-based education policy to support a school system that prepares all students for college, a career, and democratic citizenship; and

(14)One member representing an education advocacy organization that works with parents; and be it further

RESOLVED, That this audit shall be completed on or before January 9, 2019; upon the filing of its final report, the Task Force is dissolved; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the report filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall be provided to the Clerk in electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk shall direct; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to James T. Meeks, Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education and to Tony Smith, the State Superintendent of Education.