Staff Reports
An Illinois high school has come under fire for offering some of its math courses based on racial preference, according to a complaint filed by Mark Perry, Senior Fellow at Do No Harm. Evanston Township High School has allegedly only made certain algebra, calculus and precalculus courses available to Latino and Black students. The complaint went into further detail and specifically identified certain class codes that are “restricted to students who identify as Latinx” or restricted to those who “identify as Black.”
Totally illegal, will file a federal civil rights complaint ASAP with the Chicago Office for Civil Rights. https://t.co/6T42nHNKVN
— Mark J. Perry (@Mark_J_Perry) April 30, 2023
The highly controversial nature of the situation lies in the fact that the school is offering an advanced calculus course that is equivalent to “one semester of college calculus.” The algebra code is “restricted to students who identify as Black,” even though another identical class is available to others, according to the course catalog for the 2023-2024 academic year. However, the high school is making a similar calculus course available to everyone irrespective of their race.
It is important to note that this particular high school was recently in the news as the district board correctly recognized that there were fewer students of color enrolled in accelerated classes. However, instead of finding real solutions, the district opted for identity-based classes that would make it more accessible for underrepresented groups.
This situation has highlighted many aspects of the Department of Education’s efforts to fight discrimination in the nation’s schools. Records show that such complaints almost doubled in the last year, with nearly 19,000 filed. A majority of these complaints name discrimination based on race and sex.
It is worrying that the school did not respond to Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Evanston Township High School must do better and make sure that its courses are available to everyone based purely on merit and not race. It is time to put an end to discriminatory practices that do not foster an inclusive environment for learning.
