A central Illinois lawmaker is sounding off on the education bill passed a few weeks ago during the lame-duck session of the Illinois General Assembly.

State Rep. Dan Caulkins believes the legislation is too focused on sending students to four-year universities. He believes the shortage of skilled laborers should also be a focus.

According to Caulkins, public education will now have to include a history course on how black people came to be enslaved. He encouraged residents to ask their school boards about this aspect of the legislation. 

One of the more concerning aspects of the education reform bill from Caulkins's perspective is allowing any student to enroll in advance placement courses without meeting any standards.

Other concerns from the bill for Caulkins include the State Board of Education have to set up freedom schools that would supplement learning from public schools by expanding the teaching of black history and developing leadership skills and providing an understanding of the pennants of the civil rights movement. 

For Caulkins, districts are going to have to set up these 'freedom schools', likely on the backs of taxpayers, and it will be curriculum outside of the school day. This legislation does not have a time frame attached, which several of the measures did not.