Family Unit for Kindergarteners in Winnetka’s D36 Leaves Some Parents Questioning School Judgment

Parents in Winnetka’s Crow Island School were surprised after winter break to receive an email about an upcoming family unit in kindergarten using a majority of books featuring same-sex families. In fact, seven out of the nine books listed featured same-sex families. As parents asked questions about the unit, they discovered that the teachers had been reading these books to kindergarteners for the past 5-6 years, but hadn’t notified parents until this year. The books were chosen by the school’s Student Services, Equity, and Inclusion Director.

One of the books, Love Makes A Family, features two men (one with breasts) in bed together on the first page. Another book, called And Tango Makes Three, has been featured on the America Library Association’s “banned” book list multiple times. It features gay male penguins raising a penguin baby at the zoo.

While the school claims “inclusivity” justifies the curriculum, the material invites a conversation on the nature of sexual relations between adults that no child should be having in kindergarten, particularly outside the purview of their parents. There are also concerns that the overwhelming majority of books on this list feature only one type of family. Why the concentration on this one type of family with five-year olds? Furthermore, only Crow Island is reading these books while the other two elementary schools in the district are not. Thus far, the school district has not offered an explanation for this inconsistency across district schools.

After parent pushback, the school agreed to take two of the most objectionable books off the list, but that means Crow Island is still teaching a family unit to kindergartners based on five of seven books that feature same-sex families.

Protect the innocence of young children. Teach them to be kind and respectful of others. Leave the discussion of differences in sexual preferences to their parents. Respect the legal rights of parents by giving them a heads up to make decisions for their own families when it comes to sexual topics.

Another New Trier SEL Survey - and only two days given to submit an opt out form

New Trier is issuing another survey - this one on “school climate,” a euphemism for Social and Emotional Learning (“SEL”). The survey is a product of the issuers of the National School Climate Center, which originated at Columbia University.

You’ll recall New Trier issued a survey on SEL by the controversial outfit Panorama just last fall as well as the explicit “Youth Risk Behavior Survey” a few weeks ago.

The memo on the latest survey was issued on February 13th and gave families just two days to opt out, but only if they “log into PowerSchool to complete the eCollect form by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15th.” Less than two days? Why the rush?

Sample “school climate” surveys are available here. You’ll notice the diversity measures concentrate on “...gender, race, culture, disability, sexual orientation, learning differences, etc.” Noticeably absent are measures of intellectual, religious, or political diversity, a persistent blindspot for New Trier and the surveys it administers, despite its commitment to its “Civil Discourse and Critical Thinking and Statement.” Click here to read about concerns about the data-mining of children through SEL surveys.

As noted, parents can opt their kids out of the survey by logging into PowerSchool and completing the eCollect form by 5 p.m. tonight.

Video of New Trier Neighbors event

with Jeremy Adams on his best-selling book "Hollowed Out" now available!

New Trier Neighbors welcomed Jeremy Adams, California Teacher of the Year and author of "Hollowed Out: A Warning about the Next Generation," on February 7th via livestream from California last week at a live event in Wilmette.

View the video here! His book is available here.

Stay tuned for future events! Bookmark this page for more information!

Not a single student can do math at grade level in 53 Illinois schools. For reading, it’s 30 schools.

From Wirepoints.org:

"Spry Community Links High School, in the Heart of Little Village in Chicago, says its vision is to “provide a challenging and supportive environment…to enable our students to succeed in the 21st century.” Number one on the school’s focus list? “Increasing reading and math scores to or above grade level.”

But a look at state data that tracks reading and math scores for each Illinois school reveals two frightening facts about Spry. Not a single one of its 88 kids at the school can read at grade level. It’s the same for math. Zero kids are proficient."