York High Had Planned 'Anti-Racism Assessment'

ELMHURST, IL – York High School included an "anti-racism assessment" on a course's syllabus, but never followed through, the school confirmed this week.

At an Elmhurst School District 205 board meeting last month, state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, an Elmhurst Republican, said local efforts to obtain a "racial self-assessment" were unsuccessful.

She accused the district of blocking the public's access to the curriculum in American Studies.

"You can't keep hiding this stuff," she said.

Nearly a month ago, Patch filed a public records request for the "racial self-assessment" in American Studies classes. The district said it had no such documents.

When Patch reworded its request, it was again unsuccessful. But this week, a third request resulted in records.

In the records, the district acknowledged it included an "anti-racism assessment" on the syllabus for American Studies classes. But it later removed it and replaced it with the "civil rights assessment."

"Anti-racism assessment" is a slight variation from Mazzochi's term, "racial self-assessment." For records requests, public bodies often submit the search terms given by requesters into their computer systems.

Terms such as "anti-racism assessment" often raise concerns among conservatives that schools are teaching critical race theory. The district denies it includes the theory in its lessons.

The district provided Patch with a July 30, 2021, email from teacher Kevin Poduska to a resident who requested the assessment. Poduska heads the English department, which oversees American Studies.

Poduska said the American Studies teachers have never administered an "anti-racism assessment" or anything similar.

"At one time, the team had initially explored creating the assessment shown in the syllabus and its attendant unit of study, but they ultimately decided against it in an effort to best respond to students' needs," Poduska said.

He said the syllabus was incorrect.

"We have since changed it to accurately reflect the unit of study and its related assessment," Poduska said. "We want to reiterate our appreciation for your desire to learn more about the erroneously stated assessment, and we regret any confusion that our error may have caused."

In response to a public records request in early August 2021, the district told a resident that an "anti-racism assessment" was on the syllabus, but never created.

On the civil rights assessment, one of the problems reads: "Evaluate the role and tension that exists historically and today between states' rights vs. federal rights. How is this evident in your system? Would you expect a certain level of government to be taking on a bigger or smaller role in regulating your system or bringing equal treatment and equal opportunity for all?"

A new local group, Elmhurst Parents for Integrity in Curriculum, contends District 205 is indoctrinating students with critical race theory and Marxism.

Critical race theory is a decades-old legal and academic framework that looks at and critiques how race and racism shaped the U.S. laws and institutions that remain in place today.

The phrase has become a catchall for various claims about racism and race relations in the United States having nothing to do with critical race theory itself.

Marxism is the basis for communism.