East Central Reporter

State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Teutopolis) still can’t believe what he’s hearing as debate rages in a simmering Chicago Public Schools scandal where a grade-school teacher told students rioting is sometimes a part of protests.

“The idea that a teacher would tell second graders that rioting is a part of protesting is appalling,” Niemerg told the East Central Reporter. “It is not the place of teachers - especially teachers of young children - to impose their worldview on their students.”

The test given by Polaris Charter Academy teacher Katy Heavener, known for her beliefs in preaching the virtues of progressive activism, also quizzed them about politics.

Niemerg said he believes Heavener’s lesson plan is a direction many have been trying to take state schools in for some time now.

“For years, the Illinois legislature has been trying to find ways to get schools to adopt the radical left agenda as part of their curriculum,” he said. “What I would like to see happen is a reversal of these policies. Instead of encouraging radicalism, we need disciplinary actions taken against teachers who use the classroom as a forum for their own radical political beliefs.”

While the Polaris curriculum has progressive activism built into it for its 434 students, Niemerg said parents offended by Heavener’s actions have every right to make their displeasure known.

“We send our children to the local public schools,” he said. “We know the teachers and we pay attention to what our kids are learning. I would encourage all parents to take a similar approach regardless of where they send their kids to school.”

Back in May, following the protests that broke out across much of the country in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Heavener released a video to her class related to some of the rioting.

“You might hear a lot about riots and glass being smashed or cars being set on fire or something like that,” Heavener told students. “That stuff does happen sometimes. And that's part of protests because people are really angry about what's going on and they feel like they're not being listened to.”