We don’t teach Critical Race Theory! But how dare you try to stop us from teaching what we don’t teach!
That’s pretty much the argument you will find at almost all school districts. As explained a gazillion times, you will not find a third-grade book called Critical Race Theory. Instead, you find the race-focused principles of CRT under other names, such as “antiracism,” “equity,” and “culturally responsive learning.”
Ramona Bessinger, the Providence Middle School teacher subject to retaliation for blowing the whistle on CRT subterfuge, detailed this linguistic gamesmanship in her column at Legal Insurrection, I’m A Middle School Teacher And See How Critical Race Curriculum Is Creating Racial Hostility In School:
I love being a teacher and I care a great deal about my students, almost all of whom are non-white. This past 2020/21 school year was a sad and worrisome turning point for me as an educator. Providence K-8 teachers were introduced to one of the most racially divisive, hateful, and in large part, historically inaccurate curriculums I have ever seen in my teaching career.Yes, I am speaking about the controversial critical race theory that has infiltrated our public schools here in Rhode Island under the umbrella of Cuturally Responsive learning and teaching, which includes a focus on identities. You won’t see the words “critical race theory” on the materials, but those are the concepts taught. The new, racialized curriculum and materials focuses almost exclusively on an oppressor-oppressed narrative, and have created racial tensions among students and staff where none existed before.
One key in all this is the teacher training.
Judicial Watch reports that it obtained a document from a whistleblower regarding Westerly School District in Rhode Island and found training materials that fit right in with what we have come to expect.
Judicial Watch reports at its website, Judicial Watch Exposes Critical Race Theory Teacher Training in Rhode Island’s Westerly School District:
Judicial Watch announced today that it received a 53-page training document from a whistleblower in the Westerly School District of Rhode Island which details how Westerly Public Schools are using teachers to push critical race theory in classrooms.The training course was assembled by the left-leaning Highlander Institute and cites quotes from Bettina Love, from whom the Biden administration distanced itself publicly after her statements equating “whiteness” to oppression.The school district continues to deny that it teaches critical race theory.
Judicial Watch then elaborated on what it found:
The document reveals the following:
- The training course for teachers, entitled “Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Pedagogy is taught by Vera De Jesus and Michaela Comella, partners at the Highlander Institute, which has an about section on their website that describes itself as:
Highlander Institute partners with communities to imagine and create more equitable, relevant, and effective schools.Highlander Institute is named after the Highlander Folk School, a social justice leadership training school and cultural center located in New Market, Tennessee known for its role during the Civil Rights Movement.
- The training course claims that there are “unfortunate truths” about the history of Rhode Island and the United States.”
- The training course notes that there is “systemic inequity” that must be overcome in the school system.
- The training course asks teachers “How does systemic racism manifest itself in the education experience for students?”
- The training course links to a video called “Systemic Racism Explained” from Act.TV, a far-left YouTube channel.
- The course instructs teachers to ask themselves, “How do I challenge systemic inequity as an educator?”
- The course goals are to “foster and sustain cultural pluralism, ultimately for the purpose of social transformation.” Further, its stated goal is to, “disrupt the impact of educational inequity and empower students to transform their own lives, their communities, and society.”
- The course highlights “A Framework for Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Pegagogy” which includes:
- “Awareness” that “we all operate within an inequitable system”
- “Cognitive Development” where teachers “leverage students’ identities and interests …” and “scaffold and develop students’ thinking skills”
- “Critical Consciousness” where the goal is that students are motivated to “critical action so they can transform their lives, communities, and society.”
- The course teaches that teachers should focus on collectivism over individualism.
- In order to promote collectivism, it states that teachers may have to “gather information about students’ identities …” in order to have them reflect. These activities link to a journaling activity where students are prompted to write about the demographics of their neighborhood.
Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch, summarized:
“This whistleblower document shows yet another school district, under the rubric of critical race theory, that wants to use teachers to abuse their positions to turn children into Marxist agitators,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Rather than threatening parents, the Justice Department should be investigating this rampant racism being pushed by lefitst extremists in schools across America.”
Whistleblowers are key, because school districts play games on public records requests. State legislators need to improve educational transparency, so that it’s not necessary for whistleblowers to leak documents about what is being taught and how teachers are being trained.
The Westerly School District Superintendent declined to comment in response to the Judicial Watch press release.
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