Controversial equity curriculum makes students 'feel bad about themselves,' nonprofit says

WASHINGTON (TND) — Parents in Illinois have raised a red flag after one magnet school's controversial curriculum and a math organization has called math education "unjust" and "plagued by privilege."

Nicole Neily, president and founder of Parents Defending Education, joined The National DeskTuesday to discuss both of these topics.

Just outside of Chicago, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora is implementing an "equity and excellence program to be part of every facet of the academy."

So, what's the plan? Why is the academy pushing it? And what's the ultimate goal here? Neily said "it's deeply questionable."

"So they started this equity and excellence policy that focuses everything, centers on diversity, equity and inclusion," Neily explained. "Which sounds good, but then you actually dig into what the school has been doing in practice, and it's deeply questionable."

Neily said these practices included forcing teachers to read certain books and watch controversial movies with their students, giving presentations on privilege and oppression, talking about racial identity and what it means to "act white."

So it's really disenfranchising students and making them feel bad about themselves, as well as teachers," Neily said.

And parents have also raised the red flag on the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics. For Neily's full conversation with The National Desk's Jan Jeffcoat, watch the video above.