Public Education
3/22/21
CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN K-12 CIVIC EDUCATION
According to the Heritage Foundation, Critical Race Theory (CRT) is “a toxic ideology” that believes America is a fundamentally racist country, and our institutions are designed to maintain white supremacy. Unfortunately, this has been taught in public schools and universities, causing young people to believe CRT and support Marxist groups such as Black Lives Matter. Both of these bills would change the Texas Education Code to include aspects of CRT.
SB 174, by Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston), would include teaching “social justice” and civil rights concepts as “American principles,” and is now in the Senate Education Committee.
HB 153, by Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio), is called the “Cultural Inclusion Act” and would teach “diversity” and “differences of people” (i.e. teaching of gender identity, transgenderism, white supremacy, and racial bias). The bill is in the House Public Education Committee.
HB 445, by Steve Allison (R-Austin), would require teaching positive character traits, including “the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.” While teaching children positive character traits, such as honesty, respect, kindness in public schools is encouraged, teaching “diversity, equity, and inclusion” promotes division, which is the goal of CRT. HB 445 has had public testimony (see below) and is left pending in committee.
ACTION: We OPPOSE any bills seeking to insert CRT in education at any level. HB 445 did have a hearing last week. The Left showed up in larger numbers than we have seen on other bills. PLEASE contact committee members and ask them to vote NO on this bill. Contact List for House Public Education Committee.
