Midwest
Minnesota Walz-appointed board requires teachers to ‘affirm’ their students' gender identities
Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota has personally appointed members to the state’s teachers board, a body that will require educators to “affirm” their students’ gender identities, have “racial consciousness,” and learn to “disrupt oppressive systems,” public notices show.
The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) updated its Standards of Effective Practice with new guidelines for aspiring state teachers that are set to take effect throughout the state in 2025. Walz, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, was behind the appointment of all 13 PELSB members during his tenure as governor.
The new standards will require teachers in Minnesota to take controversial stances in their approach to teaching, such as “affirming” their student’s “gender,” “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.”
In order to become a licensed educator, the new standards also require that a teacher “understands multiple theories of identity formation” and takes “culturally affirming, and proactive approaches to behavior.”
KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ, ENDORSED BY TEACHERS UNIONS, RECEIVE FAILING GRADE FROM SCHOOL CHOICE GROUP
Democratic vice presidential candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks during a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Andrew Harnik)
The eighth section of the new standards, titled, “Racial Consciousness and Reflection,” requires that a teacher “understands how ethnocentrism, eurocentrism, deficit-based teaching, and white supremacy undermine pedagogical equity.”
The practice also requires a teacher to assess “how their biases, perceptions and academic training may affect their teaching practice and perpetuate oppressive systems and utilizes tools to mitigate their own behavior to disrupt oppressive systems.”
Catrin Wigfall, education policy fellow at the American Experiment, a Minnesota conservative think tank, says that “there is concern that these changes will exacerbate the teacher shortage, discouraging aspiring educators from entering the profession out of fear they will be forced to incorporate ideological perspectives just to be able to do the job they love.”
‘HE IGNORED US’: LOCAL MINNESOTA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT SLAMS WALZ’S ‘NEGATIVE IMPACT’ ON K-12 EDUCATION
“Gov. Tim Walz’s Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) plowed forward with making controversial changes to state teacher licensure requirements despite overwhelming pushback and criticism from the public. The changes will require aspiring educators to infuse ideologically-driven content into their licensure coursework (regardless of where they plan to teach), and the expectation is that this will then be implemented in their classrooms,” Wigfall told Fox News Digital.
Those affected by the updated standards are “all teacher candidates completing an initial teacher licensure program in Minnesota and all teachers seeking an initial Tier 3 license via the licensure via portfolio process.” (Ridofranz)
“The changes also make concerning and insulting generalizations about our teachers — that they are to consider themselves as biased with intersecting oppressive identities and that they need to be trained on how to treat others of different demographics with respect and dignity, celebrate student diversity, etc,” Wigfall, a former public school teacher, told Fox.
Under the Walz-appointed board’s new rules, students will be taught about “power, privilege, intersectionality, and systemic oppression in the context of the various communities.”
A few hundred people gathered outside Coffman Memorial Union to call for a cease-fire in Gaza before marching on the Northrop Mall and setting up an encampment on the lawn Monday afternoon, April 29, 2024, on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis. (Jeff Wheeler)
Those affected by the standards are “all teacher candidates completing an initial teacher licensure program in Minnesota and all teachers seeking an initial Tier 3 license via the licensure via portfolio process.”
Schools across the state are preparing to adopt these policies as Walz runs on the Democratic presidential ticket with Vice President Kamala Harris.
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DELAVAN, Wis. — A Delavan police officer has resigned immediately following his arrest on stalking charges in Illinois.
Joshua Bittner faces charges stemming from contacting a woman against the orders of the Winnebago County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office. The woman detailed a long pattern of harassment in court documents obtained by TMJ4.
Before being hired by the Delavan Police Department in 2023, Bittner was an officer in Beloit. He resigned from that position while the police department investigated his behavior.
Bittner’s resignation takes effect immediately.
Watch: Delavan police officer resigns after arrest on stalking charges in Illinois
Delavan police officer resigns following arrest
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These employers were recognized by the annual Top Workplaces employee survey conducted by Energage, working in partnership with IndyStar.
Top large companies
- Progressive Insurance
- Eight Eleven Family of Companies
- Shepherd Insurance
- LEL Home Services
- Merchants Bank / Merchants Capital
- Tendercare Home Health Services
- Rohrman Automotive Group
- Team Rehabilitation
- Wabash Center, Inc.
- Brighton Hospice
- Mainscape
- The Indianapolis Public Library
- Greenix
- Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers
- Indiana Members Credit Union
- Celigo
- Round Room LLC
- Freedom Mortgage
- Thompson Thrift
- Kirby Risk
- Ren
- Morgan Properties
- American Specialty Health, Incorporated
- Towne Properties
- New Palestine Community Schools
- Planes Companies
- Panda Restaurant Group
- Fifth Third Bank
- Flaherty & Collins Properties
- Indiana Department of Revenue
- Republic Airways
- RCI
- Cox Enterprises
- PERFICIENT
- Grand Appliance
- PT Solutions
- Centerstone
- Peterman Brothers
- Groundworks
- Damar Services
- Kloeckner Metals
- CBIZ
- Graybar
- Resultant
Top midsize companies
- Paradigm Health
- SEP
- New Hope of Indiana
- Scopelitis Law Firm (Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary)
- Bath Experts, LLC
- Opportunities for Positive Growth
- Hensley Legal Group, PC
- TBC Hotels
- The BAM Companies
- BSA
- Northview Church
- Northwestern Mutual
- Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine
- Dauby O’Connor & Zaleski, LLC
- Quality Plumbing & Heating
- Meyer Najem
- The Garrett Companies
- Commonwealth Engineers, Inc.
- Family Express
- GVC Mortgage
- Hays + Sons
- InPwr Inc.
- Kinetic Advantage
- Schahet Hotels, Inc.
- LER TechForce
- Envelop Group
- Unified Group Services, Inc.
- Knowledge Services
- Key Benefit Administrators
- Reynolds Farm Equipment, LLC
- ARBOR HOMES
- Total Quality Logistics – TQL
- North Mechanical Contracting & Service
- Indiana Donor Network
- Royal United Mortgage
- Perfection Group
- Eye Surgeons of Indiana
- ALOM
Top small companies
- Bailey & Wood Financial Group
- Indesign, LLC
- Children’s Therapy Connection
- Vaco Indianapolis
- The Peterson Company
- Express Employment Professionals
- ProKids
- Pension Fund of the Christian Church
- Mission Mechanical
- Robert Dietrick Co., Inc.
- Loren Wood Builders
- PulteGroup-IN
- BGBC, a Springline company
- NCW
- Visit Indy
- WorldTrips
- Aerocore Technologies LLC
- Vikan North America
- ready-2-xecute
- DirectEmployers
- USI Consultants
- SJCA, Inc.
- Indy Auto Man
- Kirkpatrick Management Company
- Indiana Biosciences Research Institute
- Engaging Solutions, LLC
- Exos
- Indiana Health Information Exchange
- Patterson-Horth
- Office360
- Netfor
- Haggard & Stocking Assoicates
- National Trade Supply
- Fairchild Communication Systems
- Adelta Logis, Inc.
- EMC Precision
Special Awards
APPRECIATION
Criteria: I feel genuinely appreciated at this company.
Winner: Scopelitis Law Firm (Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary)
BENEFITS PACKAGE
Criteria: I am very satisfied with my benefits package.
Winner: PulteGroup-IN
CLUED IN SENIOR MANAGEMENT
Criteria: Senior managers understand what is really happening at this company.
Winner: Indesign, LLC
COMMUNICATION
Criteria: I feel well-informed about important decisions at this company.
Winner: New Hope of Indiana
DIRECTION
Criteria: I believe this company is going in the right direction.
Winner: Paradigm Health
DOERS
Criteria: At this company, we do things efficiently and well.
Winner: Children’s Therapy Connection
LEADERSHIP
Criteria: I have confidence in the leadership team of this company.
Winner: Quinn Shepherd, Shepherd Insurance
LEADERSHIP
Criteria: I have confidence in the leadership team of this company.
Winner: Mike Wood, Bailey & Wood Financial Group
LEADERSHIP
Criteria: I have confidence in the leadership team of this company.
Winner: Andrea Schwartz, Opportunities for Positive Growth
MANAGERS
Criteria: My manager helps me learn and grow. My manager cares about my concerns.
Winner: REN
MEANINGFULNESS
Criteria: My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful.
Winner: LEL Home Services
NEW IDEAS
Criteria: New ideas are encouraged at this company.
Winner: Progressive Insurance
VALUES
Criteria: This company operates by strong values.
Winner: BSA
WELL-BEING
Criteria: This company does a great job of prioritizing employee well-being.
Winner: The Peterson Company
WORK/LIFE FLEXIBILITY
Criteria: I have the flexibility I need to balance my work and personal life.
Winner: Merchants Bank / Merchants Capital
After a spectacular senior year with Iowa basketball, point guard Bennett Stirtz won Iowa Athletics’ men’s Athlete of the Year and men’s Hawkeye of the Year awards at the athletic department’s 10th annual Golden Herky awards ceremony.
Stirtz, who made stops at Northwest Missouri State and Drake before his lone season at Iowa, finished with a career Division I average of 19.5 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game on 48.7% field goal shooting, 37.2% 3-point shooting, and 82% from the free-throw line.
This past season, the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder from Liberty, Missouri, averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game on 47.7% field goal shooting and 35.8% 3-point shooting, to accompany 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals through approximately 37:44 of action in his 37 games played.
At the end of the season, Stirtz’s play earned him AP and USBWA honorable-mention All-America honors, first-team All-Big Ten recognition, and the winner of the prestigious Chris Street Award.
In addition to Stirtz’s men’s Athlete of the Year award, Iowa’s men’s basketball team took home four additional Golden Herkys.
Redshirt freshman Cooper Koch was named men’s Breakthrough Athlete, freshman Tate Sage was named men’s Freshman of the Year, and the team earned the awards for men’s Outstanding Team and Best Moment for defeating No. 1 seed Florida to advance to the Sweet 16 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
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