On Jan. 29, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” to “instill a patriotic admiration for our incredible Nation and the values for which we stand.” The order calls to eliminate all forms of indoctrination, vowing to erase “radical, anti-American ideologies” from school curriculum. Any schools that fail to abide with the new code will risk losing federal funding, as Trump states, “My Administration will enforce the law to ensure that recipients of Federal funds providing K-12 education comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination in various contexts and protecting parental rights.”
Despite the clear threats regarding inclusivity, diversity, and expression this executive order creates, the Illinois State Department of Education is committed to keeping schools a safe and welcoming place for all students. The board published a letter on Feb. 19 addressing the terms of the order, stating that they are not looking to change curriculum or school practices at this time.
“Illinois lawmakers over the past 50 years have added instructional mandates that ensure our students are learning about the contributions of all races and cultures to our country,” State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Tony Sanders, said in the letter. “In Illinois, we strive to affirm, uplift, and support all our students and their families. Nothing in any executive order or ‘Dear Colleague’ letter should change that.”
New Trier High School has made it clear that they will stay in compliance with Illinois state law, remaining a place where all students feel not only welcomed, but safe. New Trier’s motto, “To commit minds to inquiry, hearts to compassion, and lives to the service of humanity,” will not change in response to the executive order, and the staff are working tirelessly to ensure that the classroom remains a space for all students.
“Schools are compulsory places: we require students of your age to attend school. We are a public school and we will welcome all students that live in this community, and we’ll continue to welcome all students that live in this community,” incoming Superintendent and the current Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Peter Tragos said.
As the executive order brings up changes regarding the U.S. History curriculum, New Trier has made it clear that they will continue to welcome diverse opinions and encourage conversation among students. While the curriculum can be taught in an optimistic light, the school’s curriculum is committed to providing students with a full knowledge of our nation’s history.
“In history, you’re going to hear about a lot of things that make you happy and a lot of things that make you sad because there are things that are bad,” Social Studies Department Chair Michael Christensen said. “It’s actually a much better class when there’s ideological diversity–you can have a better conversation, there’s more nuance, [and] you learn more when you talk to people who disagree with you. We don’t want to pursue one single minded narrative, no matter whose single minded narrative it is.”
The order will strictly regulate conversations of race in public schools, banning any curriculum that teaches “virtues such as merit, excellence, hard work, fairness, neutrality, objectivity, and racial colorblindness are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race, color, sex, or national origin to oppress members of another race, color, sex or national origin.” Additionally, the order will work to eliminate the idea that an individual’s character or status is a result of their race, nationality, or ethnicity.
Christensen believes that the idea of history classes being discriminatory comes from a fundamental misunderstanding on what a social study course is supposed to do. She stated that the real purpose is to encourage students to critically think about the past—and our past is most certainly not perfect.
“History classes shouldn’t feel discriminatory,” Christensen added. “Learning history isn’t discriminatory but there’s absolutely discrimination in history. [Learning about all aspects of the past] help you grow and learn about the world around you, and that’s our goal.”
US curriculum and the discussion of race acting as a big subject of conversation, another very immediate threat to schools is the change in legal gender representation. The order writes that “social transition,” (transitioning to a gender identity that is different from one’s sex assigned at birth), is a form of radical indoctrination. The order bans “psychological or psychiatric counseling or treatment by a school counselor or other provider; modifying a person’s name…or pronouns…calling a child ‘nonbinary’; use of intimate facilities and accommodations such as bathrooms or locker rooms specifically designated for persons of the opposite sex; and participating in school athletic competitions or other extracurricular activities specifically designated for persons of the opposite sex.”
According to the order, students will only be able to identify either as male or female. However, this can create an uncomfortable, unsafe environment for non-binary and transgender students. New Trier has stated that no matter where this order goes or how it expands, the school will remain a place where students are accepted, regardless of their gender identity or pronouns. Providing affinity groups, such as the trans non-binary group; clubs, such as the Gender Sexuality Alliance; and monthly observances, such as the LGBTQ+ observance in October, New Trier will continue to raise awareness about the perspectives of all people.
“We have many different groups and initiatives throughout the school that are designed to support trans and nonbinary students,” Equity Liaison and Social Studies teacher Alex Zilka said. “ In our [adviser] surveys when we ask New Trier students, ‘Do you have a trusted adult that you could talk to in the school?’, almost all students say yes, that there’s at least one kind of person who’s a point of contact. My hope is that if there are students who need some kind of support or need to be connected with resources, an affinity group, etc., that they have a trusted adult that they can go through.”
In order for students to learn, it is necessary that they feel they belong. Students can’t learn or grow if they feel unwelcome or uncomfortable, and New Trier will make sure that all students are heard, seen, and respected on campus.
“Kids can’t learn if they don’t feel safe,” Christensen stressed. “So as a teacher, it is our job to make sure that every student in our classrooms feels supported and welcome and cared for. That can’t change. You can’t learn if you’re in a state of anxiety. We live in a state that has protections around those issues: in our specific curriculum, we are mandated by the state of Illinois to teach LGBTQ+ plus history. We teachers care about our students, and that can’t change because we can’t be successful in a classroom if we don’t demonstrate our care and concern for the kids we have in front of us.”
Of course, there are several extreme legal conditions that come with the new executive order. The order states that if the terms above are not met, the government will potentially be “eliminating Federal funding or support for illegal and discriminatory treatment and indoctrination in K-12 schools, including based on gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology.” Additionally, the order threatens to revoke “K-12 teacher certification, licensing, employment, or training.”
New Trier, however, is in an extremely fortunate and unique position: federal funds are a fairly small percentage of the district’s overall budget. The school will continue to follow state law – however, above all, each person within New Trier’s walls will be looked after to the best of the school’s ability.
“Our curriculum is evolving and changing all the time, whether those be state mandates, federal mandates, we adapt to those,” Tragos said. “Our teachers are revising curriculum all of the time on their own by insights, things they’ve heard from students, etc. We will continue to follow what guidance [from the state] comes our way.”
No matter what, creating an area of belonging for all people at New Trier, both staff and students, remains top priority. As a part of the New Trier 2030 strategic plan, the goal continues to be that “by creating a culture in which students discover purpose in their intellectual, creative, social, and interpersonal endeavors, we will develop in every graduate the skills and dispositions to lead meaningful, compassionate, and impactful lives.”
“Part of our goal is to support all students and raise awareness about the experiences of different people amongst the student body,” Zilka said in reference to the 2030 plan. “We are continuing to do that. [For] every student, regardless of whatever social background they come from or social identity category they belong to, our goal is to support every student and [have them] feel belonging within its walls.”
While New Trier will continue to be in compliance with the state law, it is safe to assume that New Trier will remain a place where all students and faculty are welcomed. Diversity will be celebrated, and expression will be protected.
“Our primary objective is to ensure that students feel like they belong,” Tragos said. “They’re seen, heard and valued at New Trier, and that’s for all students. They’re welcome at New Trier, and that is our primary mission, to educate all students.”