A new Law in Illinois will Impact what your Kids Learn in School

Schools in Illinois will have to adjust their curriculum starting in 2024 after a new law was passed that will force public school teachers to address the Native American Genocide in the history of this state. Here is what you need to know...

Get our free mobile app

According to axios.com, a new law in the Land of Lincoln will go into effect at the start of the 2024 school year and will force public schools to teach about the genocide that the Native American people faced in Illinois' past. I wanted more information on this, and so I found this from Illinois.gov, they say...

"HB1633 adds Native American history to the list of required curricula for public schools in Illinois. The law specifies that this includes teaching about the genocide and forced resettlement of Native Americans by settlers, alongside the history of tribes in the Midwest and nationwide. Governor Pritzker has previously signed laws mandating instruction on Asian American and LGBTQ+ history in Illinois schools."

For more information click here!

I am 32 years old. I attended public schools in Illinois, specifically District 47 and District 155 in Crystal Lake, Illinois. I feel like this is something I learned in school already....? Am I the only one who remembers learning about Manifest Destiny and the westward expansion of the United States all while removing Native Americans from their lands?

I say all of that to say, that I would be shocked that schools aren't teaching this part of American history already. But there must be some schools that aren't for them to feel like they have to make a law addressing it. What I am curious about is at what age are kids learning this part of American history? I don't think kids who are younger than 7th or 8th grade would fully grasp this, and it would be a topic better served for high school-aged kids who can have discussions in class and with their teachers on this subject. How do you feel about this new law?