Metro East Sun

State Rep. Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) is slamming the appointment of Tony Sanders as state superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education as a political move. 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Schmidt said, did not make his best efforts to seek the best individual for the role.  

“I have run several businesses and have made numerous hiring decisions,” Schmidt told Metro east Sun. “Common sense dictates you hire the most qualified applicants. In my view, government should put even more emphasis on hiring quality people for leadership roles because the money being used to pay those individuals is money generated from taxes. It is the people’s money being spent and so the people serving in leadership roles in government agencies should be held to an even higher standard than those in the private sector. It does not appear Gov. Pritzker spent a whole lot of time looking for highly qualified candidates for the State Superintendent position.” 

Schmidt underscored looking at and putting the "needs of students ahead of special interests." 

“The fact that one in 10 black students cannot read at grade level is appalling. I represent several predominantly black communities and our education system is failing many of the families I represent," he added. “The policies within our education system are hurting students in my district. I am tired of seeing bureaucrats try to paper over the deficiencies in math and reading and other subjects, especially for minority communities. The families I represent deserve better.”

Sanders became the superintendent of Elgin-based School District U-46 in 2014. Elgin U46 is the state’s second-largest school district with over 39,000 students in 40 elementary schools, eight middle schools, and five high schools.

At U-46 Sanders was heavily involved with the implementation of Panorama Education. Burr Ridge business owner Margot Henshaw noted Sanders’ use of the scandalized company in his school district. “Panorama Education is a company specializing in Critical Race Theory propaganda distribution. It is owned by the daughter and son-in-law  (Xan Tanner)of Merrick Garland,” Henshaw said. “Yes, THAT Merrick Garland, the current Attorney General of the United States, who unleashed the FBI on parents who objected to their school boards forking over millions of their property tax dollars to indoctrinate their children with that will not make them into productive  or successful adults.” 

Henshaw also questioned the proficiency results, adding that “At Hinsdale Central, the administration was well aware that parents would not approve of the program - all materials were not to leave the building and adult aides were told if they took the material or were caught copying any of the material, they would be terminated. So this was to be hidden from the parents of Hinsdale Central because the adults at HCHS wanted to secretly indoctrinate the students.  We can only guess if U-46 parents were aware of Panorama Education and liked what they heard.  What we do know is that it did not appear to help their students boost scores -   26% are proficient in math, 27% are proficient in reading.  Are these numbers to which Illinois parents should aspire?” 

In 2021 it was revealed that Garland’s daughter Rebecca Garland is married to Alexander “Xan” Newman, co-founder of Panorama Education, Will County Gazette reported. Panorama Education contracts with school boards across the country to offer “social-emotional learning.” The company is unabashedly leftist even though its mainstream of income appears to come from public school systems. For example, the company offered up a book list via Twitter including a work by former leftwing terrorist Willam Ayers. Garland’s office was also in close contact with the NASB in the weeks leading ups to an announcement labeling parents at a school board meeting as a threat. This has led many to speculate the original letter was drafted with Garland’s assistance.