Dupage Policy Journal

Local GOP activist Noel Manley is cheering the departure of Hinsdale Township High School District 86’s Director of Instructional Equity Patrice Payne.  

Manley told DuPage Policy Journal the DEI agenda has proven itself harmful to the school community.


“This is an example of why public education is failing children, their parents, and their communities,” Manley told DuPage Policy Journal.  

“The DIE agenda, which has risen to the level of religious dogma, has demonstrably contributed to the failing performance of students.” 

“Math and reading scores for District 86 have been on a downward trend since 2013.  This Illinois Board of Education's annual report card has clearly outlined this failure.”  

“Case in point, Hinsdale South in 2022 only 38% of students could read at grade level while 39% can perform Math at grade level. The money wasted on DIE initiatives should be redirected to raising student performance. Something that student will be able to take into post secondary education, and the work place.”

“Sadly, Patrice Payne brought nothing to the table to turn this performance around. More wasted money, more wasted timed.”

Academic performance at Hinsdale Township High School District 86 has been dropping, especially for Black and Hispanic students.

Only 61% of children can execute math at school level, but just 60% of kids can read at grade level.

Additionally, kids' reading proficiency by ethnicity 83% of students are Asian, 61% are White, 42% are Hispanic, and 10% are Black.

The RAND Corporation evaluated schools employing DEI throughout the nation and found the hyper focus on racial issues took away from the overall education experience.

“Millions of disadvantaged schoolchildren are consigned to academic mediocrity, emotional abuse and physical threat in the name of restorative justice,” Daniel Buck, an English teacher and education policy writer, said in a RAND assessment of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion standards.

Due to the prevalence of DEI initiatives across Illinois some teachers have been retiring.

“Just over the past few years things have changed drastically,” Tom Stukel who formerly taught English and film at Lyons Township High School told West Cook News. “I see the harm that it's doing to children and it's wrong and that's why I keep calling it out.”

“And if this is happening in many public schools – which I know that it is – it's just not healthy and I don't want to be a part of that unhealthiness,” he said. “The way the administration promotes this is that it is supposed to be more equitable. But the problem is, is that at least what I've seen in my classroom is it's not, it's actually doing the opposite.”