Members of the Georgia Board of Education voted Thursday to formally oppose teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the state’s K-12 classrooms.
Board members, according to their resolution, described beliefs such as CRT as “concepts that impute fault, blame, a tendency to oppress others, or the need to feel guilt or anguish to persons solely because of their race or sex.”
“Such concepts should not be inculcated in students of the public educational system of the State of Georgia. True civic education is not political action itself but rather preparation for life. Respect for the liberties of students and teachers, the views of a politically diverse citizenry, and the tradition of institutional neutrality that flows from these, means that political activism has no place in education funded by the State of Georgia,” according to the resolution.
“The free speech, conscience, and religious liberty rights of teachers and students ought to be respected, and the ability of the citizens of the state of Georgia and its publicly funded school districts to control K-12 curriculum content in courses on history, civics, social studies, and similar topics through their elected representatives should not be ceded to either the federal government or private entities.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, in an emailed press release, said “this dangerous, anti-American ideology has no place in Georgia classrooms.”
“With their vote today, state school board members have ensured education in the Peach State will reflect the freedom, equality, and God-given potential of each individual,” Kemp said.
Kemp last month submitted a letter to members of the state board of education and warned about the dangers of CRT in public schools. Kemp, in his letter, said parents, students, and administrators throughout Georgia have contacted him about CRT.
But Vernon Jones — Kemp’s declared Republican opponent for next year’s gubernatorial race — also denounced CRT and said, if elected, he’ll do more than just warn about it. Jones tweeted on May 3 that he would issue an executive order to ban CRT in public schools — on his first day in office.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said last month he’s joining 20 other attorneys general and urging the Biden Administration to reconsider proposals that would impose the teaching of CRT and the 1619 Project in America’s classrooms. U.S. Department of Education officials have woven such goals into a proposed rule that establishes priorities for grants in American history and civics education programs.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
