Clearer policy, stronger standards for Peoria Unified

OPINION — When I voted for Policy 1-204, I believed Peoria Unified needed to address legitimate concerns about equal treatment and the role of ideology in our schools. I still believe that. But good policy must also be clear enough for teachers, employees and families to understand and apply consistently.

That is why I am proposing a rewrite of Policy 1-204, commonly called the district’s “No DEI” policy. The proposed “Equal Opportunity and Merit-Based Decision-Making” policy would replace broad language with clearer expectations.

My review began while examining policies from the district’s former policy service that were not carried into the current system.

That process raised a simple question: Do our policies clearly explain what is allowed and what is not?

Under the proposal, decisions involving grades, discipline, hiring, program access, contracts and resources would be based on qualifications, performance and other legitimate, nondiscriminatory criteria, not race, sex or ethnicity.

Students should also be free to examine challenging ideas, discuss them and form their own conclusions without being pressured to affirm a particular identity-based belief in order to participate or succeed.

Just as important, the proposal would protect accurate, age-appropriate instruction in history, literature, civics and science. Students should continue learning about slavery, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement and other difficult chapters of world and American history.

Recent decisions involving four English Language Arts works were separate curriculum decisions involving content and developmental appropriateness, not Policy 1-204.

The revised policy would also maintain compliance with civil rights and nondiscrimination laws while providing clearer standards for reviewing district programs, curriculum, training, contracts and practices.

The proposal remains under review, including legal review, before the governing board considers final action. Public reporting confirms the policy is still being reviewed before a vote.
We are not abandoning the purpose of Policy 1-204. We are working to make it clearer, more practical and easier to apply fairly.

Teachers should not have to guess what a policy means. Parents should understand the standards guiding their schools. And students should be free to learn, question and think for themselves.