Legislation to blunt the rise of Critical Race Theory programs in Arizona’s public schools and government workplaces may be stalled for now in the State Senate, but pushbacks to the controversial movement are growing from many directions.
Diane Douglas, a former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, called on parents to pull their children from public schools, which she says have become “indoctrination centers” due to efforts to base lesson plans on Critical Race Theory. Douglas made the comments during a May 21 interview with KFYI’s James T. Harris.
Critical Race Theory is used to describe several academic philosophies, but a common theme is that racism is a social construct. It often involves a viewpoint of “blame or judgment” on the basis of race, ethnicity, or gender.
Douglas told Harris that Critical Race Theory-based curriculum go beyond simply teaching diverse perspectives. She believes parents should homeschool their students or enroll them in private schools, for which some parents may qualify for state-funded Empowerment Scholarship Accounts.
“There are so many ways to get kids out, but I tell every parent out there, God gives children to parents, not to government bureaucracy. And we’ve got to get them out if we’re going to save our children and save our country,” Douglas said.
Douglas also complimented a recent letter Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and several other attorneys general sent to Secretary Miguel Cardona of the U.S. Department of Education. The letter was critical of proposed federal policy changes to the teaching of American History and Civics Education.
Brnovich and the others called on Cardona to ensure no educational grant funding is used for projects based on Critical Race Theory, “including any projects that characterize the United States as irredeemably racist or founded on principles of racism (as opposed to principles of equality) or that purport to ascribe character traits, values, privileges, status, or beliefs, or that assign fault, blame, or bias, to a particular race or to an individual because of his or her race.”
During her interview, Douglas also spoke about public records which show current Superintendent Kathy Hoffman created a position called associate superintendent of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Other records indicate nearly one dozen state employees report, directly or indirectly, to that associate superintendent.
But according to Douglas, the Superintendent’s responsibility is to fulfill legislative mandates and Arizona Board of Education policies, none of which have blessed Critical Race Theory. It is one reason Douglas is hopeful the Senate will vote soon on two anti-Critical Race Theory bills. Both were listed on a Senate calendar last week but were not voted on.
One bill, SB1532 or the Unbiased Teaching Act, bans racist, sexist, and one-sided politicized instruction in Arizona schools, including concepts related to Critical Race Theory. It also bans a school district, charter school, or state agency is prohibited from requiring a teacher, employee, or visitor to discuss controversial issues of public policy or social affairs unless the subject is essential to course learning objectives.
If a teacher presents a controversial issue, it must be conducted with “diverse and contending perspectives” without deference to any one perspective, according to the bill, which allows for civil litigation against teachers, administrators, and other school employees who violate the Act.
The other bill, SB1074, would ban the state, state agencies, and all political subdivisions of the state -including counties, cities and towns, and community colleges- from requiring employees to engage in “training, orientation or therapy that presents any form of blame or judgment on the basis of race, ethnicity or sex.”
Some of the concepts of blame or judgment include that one race, ethnic group or gender sex is inherently morally or intellectually superior to another race, ethnic group or sex; that an individual -by virtue of race, ethnicity or sex- is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously; that an individual should be invidiously discriminated against or receive adverse treatment partly or solely because of their race, ethnicity or sex; and that one’s moral character is determined race, ethnicity or sex.