Pennsylvania Education Department Cancels Controversial ‘Woke’ Teaching Guidelines
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has made a landmark decision to cancel its mandated teaching guidelines, which have drawn criticism for being perceived as “woke.” This development comes in the wake of a recently settled lawsuit filed against the department.
The Background of the Guidelines
Under the now-repealed “Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education Program Framework Guidelines” (CR-SE), schools were required to adopt specific strategies for teaching. These guidelines pressurised teachers to foster environments where students were expected to “identify and question economic, political, and social power structures in the school” while also disrupting what was termed as “harmful institutional practices, policies, and norms.”
This framework sparked controversy among parents and educators alike, leading to growing frustrations about the ideological motives behind these requirements. Critics argued that such mandates encroached on First Amendment rights and enforced a specific political viewpoint within the educational system.
Legal Action: The Thomas More Society Steps In
In April 2023, the Thomas More Society, a faith-based legal organization, took action on behalf of concerned parents and public school districts by filing a lawsuit against the PDE. The suit claimed that the CR-SE guidelines violated the constitutional rights of parents and students by imposing an ideological framework that contradicted their beliefs.
The legal challenge ultimately set the stage for a significant change in Pennsylvania’s educational policy, reflecting broader national debates over educational content and political influences on school curricula.
Settlement Leads to Significant Change
After months of legal disputes, the PDE reached a settlement in November and agreed to rescind the controversial CR-SE guidelines. The decision was hailed as a substantial victory for parents, students, and educators across the state.
“We are incredibly pleased with this settlement agreement, which forces the Pennsylvania Department of Education to rescind the state’s ‘Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education’ guidelines – securing an important victory for Pennsylvania parents, students, and teachers,” said Thomas Breth, special counsel for the Thomas More Society.
Breth emphasized that this agreement was a significant win against what he described as a “blatantly ideological and illegal attempt to inject ‘woke’ activism into school curricula across Pennsylvania.” He criticized the prior guidelines for compelling educators to endorse specific ideological viewpoints and impose those beliefs upon their students.
A New Direction: The Common Ground Framework
In the wake of the settlement, the PDE announced the introduction of a new set of guidelines under the “Common Ground Framework.” Although these guidelines are not mandatory for schools, they signify a shift in focus for future educational policy in Pennsylvania.
When asked about the revisions, Erin James, the press secretary for PDE, stated, “PDE is proud to offer this resource as an improvement on previously issued guidance, with an expanded focus on digital literacy, mental health, and trauma – real issues that impact those in all spaces of learning within every Pennsylvania community.”
Focus on Inclusion and Equity
The new guidelines encourage educators to foster an understanding of the importance of acknowledging differences, emphasizing marginalized learners and historically underrepresented groups. This includes considerations for gender identity and other aspects of diversity.
The PDE’s approach in the Common Ground Framework still encourages teachers to “create an equitable learning environment” by addressing and debunking stereotypes and biases related to the intelligence, academic ability, and behavior of historically marginalized learners.
Conclusion: A Shift in Pennsylvania Education Policy
The cancellation of the “Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education Program Framework Guidelines” marks a turning point in Pennsylvania’s educational landscape. It underscores a growing tension between educational policy stakeholders regarding the extent to which ideological perspectives should shape curriculum and instruction.
As the PDE moves forward with the Common Ground Framework, the emphasis appears to be on inclusion and understanding rather than strict adherence to controversial mandates. Stakeholders in the Pennsylvania educational sphere will be closely monitoring how these changes will influence teaching practices, student engagement, and parental concerns in the months and years to come.
