Two members of the Weld Re-8 School District board of education don’t want critical race theory to be a part of the district curriculum.
Cody LeBlanc and Jaime Sierra plan to introduce a resolution to this effect at the Dec. 9 combined workshop/regular business meeting of the school board.
The resolution says critical race theory “is an ideology based on false assumptions about the United States” and its population, that it’s “divisive” and that it assigns moral fault to individuals solely on the basis of an individual’s race, which, says the resolution, “therefore is itself a racist theology.”
If adopted, the final copy of the resolution would prevent concepts such as “Racism is ordinary, the usual way society does business,” and “An individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist and/or sexist, whether consciously or unconsciously” from becoming part of the curriculum.
Re-8 Superintendent Alan Kaylor said critical race theory education is not part of Colorado education standards. LeBlanc concurred.
“Currently, CRT is not included in any curriculum the district utilizes,” he said. “This measure is to prevent any new curriculum or current educational practices that may relate to CRT.”
According to edweek.org, CRT’s concepts have been in place for almost 40 years. The website cited an example from the 1930s, when officials in government drew lines around areas considered poor financial risks, often because of the racial composition. Blacks weren’t able to take out mortgages from banks in those areas, the website said.
Republican Glenn Youngkin, who won the governor’s race in Virginia this month, based part of his campaign on education offerings in the state’s schools, namely the teaching of critical race theory.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis banned its teaching in June.