Matt Bush, FISM News
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In its most recent members-only newsletter, the nation’s largest teacher’s union promoted “anti-racist” teaching and Critical Race Theory (CRT) by advocating that both be taught in public schools, including to elementary age children.
The newsletter was published by the National Education Association (NEA) which represents more than 3 million preschool-college level teachers.
A paragraph from the newsletter says, “CRT is based on an understanding that who we are, the laws we have in place, the histories that have been handed down to us, have all been shaped by race. It’s taught in law schools and graduate schools. As for public schools, students deserve age-appropriate and accurate history lessons.”
The NEA newsletter and other publications put out by the largest labor union in America, portray CRT curriculum as nothing more than teaching the truth about the role that racism played in shaping our country and nothing more. However, many conservative voices say there is a reason that CRT is such a polarizing national topic and it is not because people want to “whitewash” American history.
Mike Gonzalez wrote an article for The Heritage Foundation exposing the dangers of CRT saying, “Racism and intolerance should have no place in America, but CRT is more than just a philosophical objection to discrimination…When followed to its logical conclusion, CRT is destructive and rejects the fundamental ideas on which our constitutional republic is based.”
NEA President, Becky Pringle, is quoted in the newsletter as saying something that the vast majority of Americans would agree with: “We can objectively present to students the good, bad, and ugly of our past so that they can build a better, brighter future. Our students need to learn about the times when this country has lived up to its promise, and when it has not. Honesty. That’s what they need from us. Truth. That’s what they expect.”
While conservatives and liberals alike would say that we need to have an honest look at our history, the opinion of whether CRT does this or not varies greatly.
CRT proponents claims the curriculum objectively teaches the role that race and racism played in shaping our country and our culture. Its critics, adversely, see it as pitting one race against another, saying that the color of one’s skin inherently makes one either the oppressor or oppressed.
CRT has been a hot-button topic politically as of late. It was highlighted in the Virginia governor election by Glen Youngkin who ran on a platform that he would give more say to parents in regard to their child’s education, in part, by removing CRT curriculum from school.
Democrats have decried the move by Republicans, saying that the theory is not being taught in schools and is a method to create fear amongst their constituents and push votes for their party.
This publication by NEA seems to give credence to the concern from conservatives that CRT is actively being pushed in schools.