(Big League Politics) – Texas Republicans are looking to take a bite out of Critical Race Theory.
On April 28, 2021, the Texas Senate passed legislation that would prohibit teachers from being forced to teach critical race theory. Critical Race Theory refers to an ideology which maintains that America is a fundamentally racist country and institutions like the Constitution, property rights, and capitalism are vestiges of a racist society, and thus, must be abolished in the name of anti-racism. The bill was passed on strictly partisan lines by a vote of 18-13.
Senate Bill 2202 was authored by State Senator Brandon Creighton. Iris Poole of Texas Scorecard noted that SB 2202 “promotes the adoption of a curriculum that promotes the understanding of the moral, political, and intellectual foundations of the country, the processes of governance at the local, state, and federal levels, and the founding documents of our nation.”
According to this bill, teachers have the ability to choose to discuss hot-button issues in class, but schools cannot craft policies that force teachers to do so. In addition, the bill suggests that teachers should promote “all diverse viewpoints on the issue.”
In addition to the curricula the State Board of Education mandates, this bill features content regarding America’s founding documents, namely, the letters between the Founding Fathers and the Federalist Papers. Further, the bill bans teachers from using instruction material that declares one race or sex being superior to another.
After the passage of Creighton’s bill, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick released a statement in firm opposition to Critical Race Theory.
“Texans reject critical race theory and other so-called ‘woke’ philosophies that maintain that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex or that any individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive. These divisive concepts have been inserted into curriculums around the state, but they have no place in Texas schools. SB 2202 will ensure that they cannot be taught,” declared Patrick.
“When Texan parents send their children to school, they expect their students to learn to think critically without being forced to consume misinformation about our country’s founding and the biases of advocacy groups that seek to belittle our democracy and divide us. I congratulate Sen. Creighton and the Texas Senate for passing this critical legislation for our children and our schools.”
SB 2202 has a companion bill in the House, HB 3979, that State Representative Steve Toth helped pass out of the Public Education Committee in the past week and is now on the calendar for May 4.
Although public education is sub-optimal in many parts of the country, a compelling case for school choice policies such as private schooling, homeschooling, and more localized forms of education, CRT bans are a critical step in order to keep the radical Left in check and reclaim sound education for the masses.
As it is now, too many public schools are indoctrination centers. Legislation like that in Texas should be enacted by all states with Republican trifectas. It’s a litmus test issue that separates the true right-wingers from the appeasers that got us here in the first place.
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