Per the July 7, 2021 BOE agenda memo: At this time USD 383 will not move forward with the previously proposed BetterLesson trainings because we are unable to provide evidence of outcomes for participants.
One of the major reasons parents and citizens of USD 383 opposed the BetterLesson training was that data and evidence of the success of such training were lacking. Many will be glad, for now at least, the district also agrees. The training is based on such concepts as systemic racism, white privilege, social justice activism, the dominance of white normality, microaggressions, unconscious bias, approaches of anti-racist co-conspirators, and the teaching of non-contextual history. Many believed such an approach based on stereotypes and racial groupings would actually drive division and not provide a good atmosphere for learning.
Unfortunately, the district has a $6k credit with the company and plans to use this credit for some type of training in the future. The original proposal was for $61.5k worth of training.
