Critical Race Theory In the Schools: An Update

It's been a while since I discussed the schools' teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and its core doctrine of While Privilege in this blog. But this topic has made the national news lately , due to Gresham school board member Dan Christenson uncovering use of this extreme radical theory in their district, so it's probably time for an update. I won't bother detailing my specific objections to CRT again, since in my previous blog entries I have thoroughly discussed its historical illiteracy, anti-white racism, attacks on American legitimacy, reliance on ad hominem arguments, and encouragement of anti-Semitism.   But our district has reviewed its Equity training materials in the past year, and we have made some progress on this topic.
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First, the good news: our district is planning its future trainings using a different seminar that is not based on CRT. As you may recall, the Hillsboro School District has, over the past five years, been training its teachers with the "Uniting to Understand Racism" (UUR) materials, based on the theory that racial equity will be improved by indoctrinating everyone in CRT. A district committee was formed this year to review the program, and the end result is that the next round of training will be based on a program called Stir Fry Seminars. This program is based on encouraging each individual to examine their own communication styles, and their website does not contain the words White Privilege. There are a few areas for caution though, as I do see some left-wing buzzwords such as "power" used repeatedly on their site. Naturally, it's always possible that CRT is there under the hood: if you've attended a Stir Fry Seminar and have any comments or concerns, please send me an email.

However, the past years of CRT instruction have leaked into Hillsboro classrooms, and this will require all our continuing vigilance to fix. It's probably not much of a surprise that, after many years of being led to believe that the White Privilege doctrine is the official view of the district, some teachers have incorporated it into their lesson plans for the children. We received a complaint at a board meeting a few months ago, and independently a local student showed up at one of my Constituent Coffees to complain about such a lesson in another class. Even worse, in one of these classes, when a student asked the teacher when they were going to discuss alternative views on race in America, he was told by his teacher that there is no other legitimate view! Such one-sided teaching is clearly a violation of our policy on controversial issues in the classroom.  (I do not object if CRT is discussed in a context of many views on race, including conservative ones, but that is not what was happening here.)  I believe Superintendent Scott has met with the principals involved and told them that these types of lessons are politically polarizing as well as being potential deviations from policy, and do not belong in our K12 classrooms. But I'm not sure if this is enough to undo our years of indoctrination-- we need to remain vigilant. If you find your child being taught Critical Race Theory and White Privilege in their class, please send me a copy of the materials so I can follow up. (I can relay them anonymously if your child is worried about facing accusations of racism or disciplinary action for reporting this.)

Also, if you're not in Hillsboro or Gresham, there is probably a 99% chance that Critical Race Theory and White Privilege are quietly being taught in YOUR district. The most challenging aspect of dealing with the district Equity committee has been their thorough training in CRT-- many staff members seem to find it difficult to even conceive that another view could exist. As I researched the literature, I found that at a national level, this radical doctrine has totally taken over schools of education, academic ethnic studies departments, and academic "diversity" specialists. Thus anyone wishing to be formally certified as any type of educator these days has no choice but to study, accept, and internalize this theory. So if you're in another district, be sure to ask to see their Diveristy or Equity training materials, and examine them for yourself. Chances are that you are in for an unpleasant surprise.   It's best to review the actual materials, but also be on the lookout for mention of, or materials provided by, large organizations known to promote CRT:  UUR, Resolutions Northwest, the Pacific Education Group (PEG), or the Coalition for Educational Equity (CFEE).

So, in short, we have made some improvement to the Equity training program in the Hillsboro School District, but need to remain vigilant. Be sure to pay attention to what your child is learning in school, and review any materials related to racism, diversity, or similar topics. And if in another district, watch this issue closely, and ask your local school or district office for the relevant materials in this area.