In recent weeks Bloomington-Normal media have pushed that there is no evidence of parents being concerned about the lack of diversity of thought when it comes to ideology surrounding Critical Race Theory.
One Normal parent couldn’t bite her tongue about Mr. Robinson any longer. Althea Shonn said two years ago she decided to keep quiet about how her daughter, Alex Shonn, was subjected to hours of CNN.
But this past November of 2020 Althea Shonn said she had the courage and took to email and corresponded with Ms. Lauren Chessare about IMC, a database is an online collection of organized information and how this was a limited source.
“From an A, she got a grade that dipped her grade to a B on her finals because she believed (and wrote about how) there is not a clear solution to the war on terror. Why is this wrong? While some kids are optimistic; some chose to be realistic and pragmatic and there is definitely nothing wrong with that. Why are our schools restricting freedom of thought and not allowing children to find the answers to their own questions by giving them a wider selection of sources to derive from?” questioned Althea Shonn in an email sent in November.
Althea Shonn works as a nurse and was approached by her daughter for help in research databases because she found very limiting material offered by the IMC database.
“Ms. Chessare, critiqued her sources as dated. How does she find a source that would support her stance when you limit them to the ones on IMC? Why is it that CNN, NYT, and the likes are accepted as good sources and Fox News Channel and Prager University are not? I do not consider any of them, in the least, scholarly but in their search for answers, you have failed to teach them without context to your own biases. My child’s politics is mine to shape and not the school’s; they are in line with the values we uphold as a Catholic, Filipino family,” Althea stated in her original email to Ms. Chessare.
Shonn was met with the following correspondence: “I appreciate parents reaching out to discuss concerns, I find these allegations confusing, disheartening, and largely inaccurate. I have, in no way shape or form, limited Alex, or any student, to left-leaning sources. I instruct students to utilize the school databases, as it is a department expectation (which is included on the department rubric line for credibility of sources), just as I was expected to use database sources for papers while getting both my bachelors and masters. I also encourage students to find recent sources (within the last year or so). Any feedback Alex received from me to strengthen her sources was out of a genuine desire to teach her research skills and get the highest grade possible on her paper,” stated Chessare. “My personal stances have no place in my grading; there have been many topics I disagree with in which the student earns an “A” on the rubric, and others that I do agree with that do not. In fact, I often work hard to incorporate both viewpoints into many lessons I teach.”
Alex Shonn shared with her mom she felt like Chessare did not like her and expressed fear of retribution from her in future assignments.
Alex Shonn shared with Cities that this is not the only time she felt singled out by a teacher.
Both Althea and Alex Shonn received citizenship in November of 2020
One teacher made comment about a “Trump-Pence” sticker she had on her laptop and Alex Shonn said that she felt shortly thereafter the teacher would play clips from the news that were hyper-critical of Trump.
Alex Shonn said that Mr. Stefan Robinson then asked her, ‘Is this a joke? I am genuinely wondering.’ Alex Shonn said this is the same teacher who constantly said ‘There’s no wrong answers.’
Shonn said this same teacher docked her points for an assignment where she argued the ‘War of Terror’ would never end.
“You’re not teaching history right at all because history is up for interpretation,” said Alex Shonn.
Alex Shonn decided not to hide her positions and interpretations and took to social media where she was met by a lot of opposition from peers.
“A lot of them would not agree with me because all of them have fed into this liberal narrative the school gives them,” said Alex Shonn.
“At one point I realized I’m not learning English anymore,” said Alex Shonn. “I’m reading books about oppressions and social injustices…even questions one tests would be connected to modern-day injustices. Unit 5 definitely loves to bring in Critical Race Theory,” said Shonn.
Alex said politics shouldn’t insert itself in a basic English course at the high school level.
“Critical Race Theory divides us even more,” said Shonn. “All the teachers have said they want equality. You’re putting us into oppressors or oppressed. The IMC, I mean I couldn’t even find a copy of the Constitution, Federalist papers…you can’t find a copy of a single amendment whatsoever. I had to go all the way, digging into the IMC…before I could stumble upon anything that was leaning towards my way I found something from Canada,” said Alex Shonn.
Alex Shonn said she wants to raise awareness about what’s happening.
“To think critically it is important to create your own thoughts and not to just listen what the school has to say about it,” said Alex Shonn. “I want people to know that what the school is doing is indoctrination.”
Alex Shonn plans to go to college at Michigan State.
