PA Department of Education agrees to roll back requirement for teachers to adopt guidelines deemed ‘woke’

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has agreed to waive the requirement that schools implement them didactic guides which were deemed “awakened” in a recently settled lawsuit.

Pennsylvania officials required schools to adopt a set of instructions on how to approach teaching in line with the ‘Culturally Relevant and Sustained Education Program Framework’ (CR-SE).

The guidelines included mandating teachers to “design learning experiences and spaces for students to identify and challenge economic, political, and social power structures in school” and to “disrupt harmful institutional practices, policies, and norms.”

The Thomas More Society, a faith-based legal group, filed a lawsuit against the PDE in April 2023 on behalf of a group of parents and public school districts who argued that the mandate violated their First Amendment rights.

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The Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg. (John Greim/Getty Images)

PDE agreed arrange the costume in November and cancel CR-SE’s guidelines.

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“We are incredibly pleased with this settlement, which forces the Pennsylvania Department of Education to overturn the state’s ‘Culturally Relevant and Supportive Education’ guidelines – securing an important victory for Pennsylvania’s parents, students and teachers,” Thomas Breth , special counsel for the Thomas More Society, said in a statement.

“Our settlement is a triumph against the Department’s blatantly ideological and illegal attempt to inject ‘woke’ activism into Pennsylvania’s school curricula, which required educators to affirm their belief in these ideological principles and then impose the same on their students ” added Breth.

Just days after the settlement, the department issued new suggestions under their new “common framework”, although schools are no longer required to follow the guidelines.

Pennsylvania requires schools to adopt a set of instructions on how to approach teaching according to the “Culturally Relevant and Sustained Education Program Framework” (CR-SE). (iStock)

Asked about the deal, PDE highlighted its new guidelines in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

“PDE is proud to offer this resource as an enhancement to previously issued guidance with an expanded focus on digital literacy, mental health, and trauma—real issues that affect those in all learning spaces in every Pennsylvania community,” Erin James , PDE press secretary, said in a statement.

The new guidelines encourage educators to “understand the importance of differences among marginalized students and historically underrepresented groups,” such as gender identity, according to the department’s website.

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In addition, teachers in the state are still encouraged to “create an equitable learning environment by challenging and debunking stereotypes and biases about the intelligence, academic abilities, and behavior of historically marginalized students.”