- Illinois Loop
The Illinois Loop is an organization of parents, teachers, school board members, and others working to restore academic substance and effective teaching methods into schools.
The Illinois Loop started informally in about 1995, when a group of parents and teachers in the west suburbs of
Chicago shared their concerns and opinions about what they perceived as dangerous trends in reading and math instruction in their schools. Using online message boards, and later the Internet, they shared news, tips and discoveries to better prepare for their efforts in their own schools. Since then, the Illinois Loop has helped thousands of parents, teachers and school board members better understand the nature, the promise and the risks associated with promoted innovations in education.Today, hundreds of people receive updates from the Illinois Loop's email news list. Participants include teachers, board members, nationally known education experts, and many, many parents. While a principal focus is on education in
Illinois , much of the group's activities and information is applicable throughout the United States.Areas of particular concern to the Illinois Loop include expansion of
whole language to the detriment of reading skills, adoption by schools of so-calledfuzzy math programs instead of mastery-based math programs, reduction of the role of the teacher as an instructor, and overall lessening of substance and factual content in courses such as history, literature, geography,grammar and science.Issues
Illinois Loop is a conservative political organization, with a distinct bias towards a "Stand and Deliver" mode of teaching base on rote memorization. Their criticism of alternative teaching methods rarely investigates the possible merits of alternatives, preferring to advocate for a specific type of instruction.
Illinois Loop does not support the concept of differentiation, or changing instruction methods to support the learning style of particular students, and is strident in their attacks on new research.
External links
* [http://www.illinoisloop.org/ Illinois Loop website, providing information on individual subjects, teaching methods, issues regarding teaching, and the operation and management of schools.]
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