Dr. Hayes defines and discusses Critical Race Theory

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[Personal opinion of Annika Verma who is a junior at Pennridge High School.]

 

The rise of COVID-19 and our reckoning with racial tensions have us reevaluating much of what has been taught in schools. These past few years have been times of introspection for many, and communities are widely shifting their focus to what children are learning.

 

One of the most controversial topics is the conversation and action surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.

 

We have seen the scorching headlines of local school board meeting decisions and public outrage from parents.

 

The majority of the controversy surrounding DEI efforts comes in the form of accusations about critical race theory, or CRT. For context, CRT is associated with the concept that racism is not the product of individual bias, but rather something immersed into legal systems and governmental policies.

 

From community members to elected officials, there have been calls to condemn DEI as a form of critical race theory.

 

I attend a public school in an area that is surrounded by boroughs and municipalities that are, on average, over 90% white.

 

When I go to Pennridge High School and realize that DEI was paused indefinitely with all but one school board member voting to keep it, it furthers the divide and strikes racial minority students at Pennridge.

 

As superficial as certain efforts for DEI may be, they have one foot in the door. Schools must look to their community and students for further insight as to how they may truly represent the historically underrepresented.

 

More...

 

In the wake of a recent school board decision to halt the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion-related efforts, anyone searching the Pennridge School District’s website for DEI information will come up short.

 

The board voted 6-1 at its August meeting to pause administration-led DEI initiatives, and related materials have since been hidden from Pennridge’s website.

 

Now, the webpage that once housed the school district’s DEI mission statement and district goals is mostly blank, requiring a username and password to login. School district-controlled DEI content has been temporarily pulled from the website for review.

 

Since the vote, Bucks County NAACP and the Anti-Defamation League Philadelphia have publicly condemned the decision.

 

Pennridge is one of several school districts locally and nationwide wading through the ongoing confusion and debate surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory.

 

In Pennsbury, where community members have passionately spoken out against CRT curriculum, which has never been proposed in the district, educational equity is defined as “the practice of distributing resources, access and opportunity based on fairness and justice regardless of race, ethnicity, color, age, religion, gender….”

 

CRT is an analytical framework that examines the history of race in America and is usually associated with studying law in higher education. And most districts have looked to address equality issues in their schools, none have proposed CRT curriculum.

 

Following the vote, ADL Philadelphia’s regional director, Shira J. Goodman, called upon the Pennridge School Board “to immediately and in good faith" resume the district’s DEI efforts.

 

“By restricting efforts to better understand and confront systemic discrimination in the school district and beyond, the board is abrogating its responsibility to serve all students,” Goodman said in a statement. “This decision is illogical, unethical and deeply harmful.”

[Stacey Smith lives in Perkasie.]

 

“Critical Race Theory,” CRT, is the new catchphrase causing debate nationwide among school boards and parents, including those in the Pennridge School District. Well-intentioned people are being scared away from vital “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” DEI, efforts because of widespread misinformation and intentional fear-mongering.  

 

DEI initiatives are extremely important, common and non-threatening. Actual “Critical Race Theory” is a university-level concept, originated from a framework for legal analysis 40-plus years ago, not a curriculum for K-12 schools.  

 

However, the rhetoric from political extremists has turned it into a catchall to include anything related to DEI. This was a deliberate scare tactic, encouraged by national organizations hoping to sow division to get conservatives to the polls in November.

 

If we are going to worry about curriculum, let’s ensure that we are including an accurate portrayal of our country’s history, including the good, the bad and the ugly. Kids need to learn that it is possible to be simultaneously proud of your country and acknowledge its shortcomings.  

 

Beyond this, students need to be exposed to diverse points of view and life experiences, to help prepare them to be part of an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.

 

Please do not be fooled into voting for unqualified candidates running only on anti- “Critical Race Theory” platforms. Be diligent, do your research, speak to school board candidates to understand their positions.  

 

The success of Pennridge School District depends on all of us keeping our cool, being open-minded, working together and creating a positive experience for all our students.