‘Critical Race Theory’? Here’s What Teachers Say They’re Actually Teaching

Critical race theory has seemingly become a hot issue ― at school board meetings, conservative politicians’ speeches, and predominantly Fox News media outlets. In April, May, and June, “critical race theory” was mentioned a whopping 1,640 times on the conservative cable news outlet. During that same period, the phrase was mentioned just 250 times on CNN and 264 times on MSNBC, according to some number-crunching from The Washington Post. So what is it, exactly? Primarily taught in law and graduate schools, critical race theory (C.R.T.) is an academic framework that examines how policies and the law perpetuate systemic racism. Essential race theorists posit that racism is not just the product of individual bias but is deeply embedded in our legal systems and policies.

In the last year or so, the idea that “critical race theory” is being taught in K-12 schools has been pushed to the forefront by, among others, Chris Rufo, a conservative activist who came to prominence in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and a national reckoning about racism that made “white privilege,” “white supremacy” and “systemic racism” everyday language. As Rufo and similarly-minded ideologues claim, kids nationwide are brainwashed to believe that being white in America is fundamentally racist.

Of course, teachers and school administrators being targeted at school board meetings have insisted that they aren’t teaching critical race theory. Instead, many educators have argued that conservative activists are weaponizing the legal scholarship term, using the trumped-up charge as a convenient way to ban diversity and equity initiatives among school staff and curtail teachings on race and U.S. history that they find too progressive. (Rufo has made no secret of his hopes to turn C.R.T. into the latest conservative boogeyman to stoke fears and motivate the right.)

Thanks in no small part to wall-to-wall Fox News coverage, Rufo’s rage against critical race theory has been an incredibly effective campaign so far. As of early July, six states have passed laws that seek to ban instruction on “critical race theory” in K-12 schools, though these laws rarely mention critical race theory by name. School may be out for the summer, but school board meetings are still in session and packed full of parents speaking out against C.R.T.

Many educators are fearful that concern over critical race theory ― however far afield it may be from the actual academic definition of C.R.T. ― might be used by parents to protest lessons on anything remotely related to racism, equality, or even works by BIPOC authors. After an exhausting year of remote or hybrid education, many K-12 instructors say they’re being unfairly maligned for what amounts to teaching American natural history. Death threats, firings, and harassment are some consequences educators face across the country.

And yet teachers ― the folks dealing with the lion’s share of criticism as “indoctrinators” or worse ― have been sorely missing in this conversation. With that in mind, we recently asked educators a few simple questions nationwide: “Are you teaching C.R.T. in your classroom? If not, what do you teach about race in your classroom?” Here’s what they had to say, in their own words. (Note: Some teachers asked to use their first names only for privacy and safety. Several of them work in districts where C.R.T. is a contentious issue.)

I teach my state’s standards covering the entire breadth of American history. I do take special care to spend some time on aspects that our standards do not do a good job addressing, including native societies, Black culture, immigration, and the role of Black men and women in the founding and sustaining of our nation. My class is discussion-based and student-interest-driven. For instance, when something happens in the world (say, the Capitol being attacked, an election, or a topic coming to the forefront like police brutality), we read what the research says, bring all the opinions to the table, and consider the historical imperatives. The Second Amendment is a big deal here in the South, so we spend much time on its history and questioning the popular narratives surrounding it. I let the students’ ideas fall where they want to.

I am a white male teacher, and my students are primarily Black. Race is not a subject we shy away from. My white students or students of other races and ethnicities are free to participate however they are comfortable. I spend a lot of time demonstrating how much we have in common. There is no need for racial guilt of any kind. I am open with my recently found knowledge that my family enslaved people related to Robert E. Lee. I do this to show that the distant past does not have to define you unless you let it. But not being aware of where you came from makes it impossible for you to change for the better. ― Zach Balkcom, a high school teacher in Baldwin County, Georgia.

I’m a second-grade teacher in Texas. We teach content that the Texas Education Agency requires. These standards are called the TEKS. We do not even begin to touch on any of the tenets of C.R.T. However, I can incorporate diversity and celebrate BIPOC culture and achievements while adhering to state standards.

For example, one of our standards is identifying important historical figures and explaining how their contribution has impacted the community. We research and discuss leaders such as Thurgood Marshall, Irma Rangel, W.E.B Du Bois, Cesar Chavez, and Ellen Ochoa. I also incorporate books by BIPOC authors when covering our reading standards; even though my district is predominantly white, it’s essential to promote representation and recognize the work of BIPOC.

Many times in my career, we have covered Black History Month, M.L.K. Day, or Abraham Lincoln, and conversations with students have organically turned to equality and civil rights. These conversations are always age-appropriate, but if students ask why Black people had to sit at the back of the bus, are we expected to ignore it? Teachers help turn these tiny humans into compassionate, responsible, respectful global citizens. Part of that is recognizing the injustices in our past and emphasizing that we all are valuable and important as individuals.

Teachers are professionals, regardless of what many of our detractors claim. We can have age-appropriate, school-appropriate conversations about race and equality. Moreover, we are hard-pressed for time to cover our required public school curriculum effectively. It’s laughable to think we have time to indoctrinate our students. Teachers are no different from every other profession in that there are always some bad apples, but overwhelmingly, teachers are not the villains we are being made out to be. We have dedicated our lives to their children for very little money, and how we are treated is heartbreaking and insulting. ― Brittany Norton, a second-grade teacher in Texas

I teach high school English in a conservative Placer County, Ca, California district with very heated board meetings. I can tell you I have never used the words critical race theory in my classroom. My class focuses on the essential question: How does society influence the individual, or how does culture influence an individual’s identity?

One of our core texts is “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. We analyze all the perspectives in that book. Scout, the innocent white girl, watches as her father defends a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. The way Scout internalizes society’s racism and her confusion about this. How she is treated at school and in her community because of her father. We look at Atticus and his choice to defend Tom Robinson, knowing it is futile in a society condemning Black people solely based on color. We look at Mayela, a lonely white woman who accuses Tom of rape. And, of course, we look at Tom Robinson.

The primary goal of my English class is to teach kids to critically read, write, and think. Look at any text: novels, articles, ads, social media, commercials. Identify the argument and its formulation, decide whether they agree or disagree, and communicate why. We look at speeches from former President Donald Trump and former President Obama. What is the argument? How are they trying to convince you? And are you convinced? Why or why not? What does the author or speaker want us to know, and what do they want us to believe? ― Tracy, a high school English teacher in Placer County, California

I’m a middle school history teacher in Colorado Springs. I try to include as many perspectives as possible. For sixth grade, I taught colonization of the American continent and compared English and Spanish colonization. This has African diaspora, including slavery being established in 1607, how it diverged from indentured servitude based on race, and the establishment of slave codes in the late 17th century. Although the instruction contains aspects of slavery, much of what I teach is from a colonizing point of view and the Amerindians.

We analyze the Constitution and the Three-fifths Compromise for civics and how it did not include enslaved Black Americans, Amerindians, and women. I teach how only a minority held power and could vote. Civil rights come into the picture when discussing the law and fundamental human rights. We talk about free speech and the Bill of Rights and how rights have been limited in the past, such as with Jim Crow. I pull material from sites that end in .org or .edu not to appear controversial, although Howard Zinn and “A People’s History” are part of my materials, and I use primary sources. We use a lot of pictures where students try to determine what is going on.

There’s been a lot of controversy in my district (Colorado Springs D49) about race matters. One source is looking at the Ferguson protests and the police versus protesters. The questioning used doesn’t ask questions such as “Why are people racist?” but “How do you feel about the author?” or “Why would someone do something like this?” Just last year, an art teacher in an elementary school was reprimanded because an education video they watched featured a mural with the phrase Black Lives Matter.

Nt makes me apprehensive about teaching social studies next year because I don’t believe they know what C.R.T. is involved in. Now our district is poised to ban C.R.T. The section sees this as part of a controversial movement of racial division, so they claim he should have sent a permission letter to parents who might want to opt their students out o the lesson. They can label any race-based instruction as C.R.T. ― Mike, a sixth-grade social studies teacher in Colorado Springs.

I had never heard of C.R.T. before the recent political hysteria, and I would not say that nationally teach it. In seventh grade, I teach about the historical origins of race and how it is a social construct that still has a huge social impact. We look at racism in studying world events like colonialism and the Holocaust. Our analysis of primary documents reveals the undeniable effect of racism from long before our nation was founded. Students in my class can identify the effecimpactacism of the laws created and the role of white supremacy in starting the Civil War and ending Reconstruction. When it comes to racism in modern America, my students of color teach me. One of my hardest-working, straight-A students had his backpack searched at a convenience store. He’s Ethiopian. My best response to hearing experiences like this is to teach my students how to advocate for change. ― Alex Cooper, a social studies middle school teacher in Washington state.

I’m a high school teacher who teaches Englisteachinganalysis in Loudoun County, Virginia, where the C.R.T. debate is currently raging. At I can’t stress enough: Nobody is teaching critical race theory. I had to Google the term to find out what it was up in arms about. It’s a very advanced law school field of study, and,  for the most part, this debate is manufactured outrage.

We try to notice something responsive teaching (note the initials ― C.R.T.). You can probably find documents from our district that mention culturally responsive teaching. All this means is we make an effort to make all students feel as welcomed and comfortable coming to school as possible: We try and mto both the transgender kid and the MAGA teen feel like school is a place where they can be safe, learn, and be respected. It’s not anything any rational person could be against. I’ve seen some of the anti-critical race theory people point to that as “pushing C.R.T.” It isn’t. It’s two different things that happen to share initials.

Some of the loudest voices in the movement in this area have started just flat-out saying they are against equity. I disI’m afraid I have to disagree with that, for obvious reasons. I am reimagining a sign that says “Stop Equity!” and thinking you are the good guy. Still, at least they’re h not hiding behind the C.R.T. nonsense. AttemWea district is engaging in.

Rac attempts at equity come up in the classroom for various reasons. Still, mostly because we live in the United States, it is impossible to discuss the history ― of history country without discussing race. Specifically, I use “Letter from Birmingham Jail” to teach rhetoric as it might relate to the anti-CRT nonsense. To understand and dissect the arguments Martin Luther King Jr. was making, you have to understand the context he was making them. That means we have to understand the situation in Birmingham in 1963 and the people and systems that ace that led to King being locked up. Once you do that, you can examine King’s techniques to make his argument.

Literature is an engine for empathy. Reading literature doesn’t work unless you can understand and share the characters’ feelings. When we read “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” they, hopefully, can understand the struggles, King’s struggles and frustrations, and people’s perspectives other than themselves. They can better analyze what they think about those characters and those people’s actions.

It’s not “what” that is important, but “why,” and we work hard to help them get to the point where they are capable of examining and analyzing the “why” in every situation. That’s not critical race theory. That’s just being a functioning human capable of independent thought, which is the point of education and something everyone should be for. ― Patrick Ayers, an English and film analysis teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia

Students want to know why the things they learn matter and are already forming their own opinions about history and society. My goal is to guide my students to engage in higher-level thinking and conversation, not to push my beliefs on them. We do a lot of spontaneous research based on questions that arise, and I hope they then use the information they find to decide what they believe about various social issues.

It’s important to consider that students ― especially older ones ― want those difficult (and sometimes controversial) conversations. They do not appreciate life being sugar-coated. For example, a seventh grader came to me one day and asked, “Why don’t we study the history before slavery?” We talked about how slavery has, unfortunately, existed pretty much as long as civilizations have, and he wanted to understand why that was the case. So we talked about greed and oppression, and racism.

It was a really powerrobustussion. I have never once had a student express that they feel “feelings types of conversations. But I have witnessed multiple students develop a determination to play fights injustice, bias, and racism. A lot of times, they are the ones to bring up these topics to me ― not the other way around. Honestly, young people are amazing, and they want to create a better world. Neglecting to have these conversations with them would be detrimental and unfair.

I can confidently say that it is not common practice for teachers to shame white students or teach that society’s problems are due to white privilege. Teachers are not diabosinisterre is no conspiracy to brainwash our students. We are doing our best to teach the truth and artifacts and ensure all students are treated equally and respectfully, regardless of skin color or cultural background. ― Rachel Wilder, a special education middle school teacher in Colorado.