June 1, 2022

Mostly misunderstood but nevertheless controversial, Critical Race Theory, or CRT, has been the subject of a number of debates in Maryland everywhere from the Maryland governor’s race to the local schools. So is it present in the FCPS system? To assess this it is first important to understand that CRT is not a specific course or topic in a curriculum or training program. Curriculums and training programs that may contain CRT rarely if ever mention the term CRT. Rather than a singular subject, CRT is a philosophy supported by a broad set of principles. It is derived from Critical Theory, which has been around for more than a century and espouses that all societies have a dominant culture, and the dominant culture systemically and deliberately oppresses all others in that society. CRT posits that the dominant culture in America is white, and that the oppressed are communities of color, and that the white culture has dominated American society since before the American Revolution and “systemic racism’ is built into every aspect of American society from the legal system to the structure of the family.

The concern critics of CRT raise is that it presupposes that all disparate outcomes are caused by racism. It doesn’t promote the search for the root causes of disparate outcomes because it starts with the premise that racism is the root cause of all disparate outcomes, presents evidence to validate that theory, and then takes the position that no progress can be made until that theory is acknowledged and accepted. Critics don’t deny racism exists but that CRT is counterproductive to mitigating racism because it teaches racism is in everyone and every institution in America. This has the disadvantage of pitting groups against each other rather than bringing them together to work towards a common goal. Those who oppose CRT as a philosophy believe it is possible to confront racism and work to mitigate it without CRT.

The following are examples of principles espoused by CRT advocates and were taken from early CRT supporters like Richard Delgado and Derrick Bell and contemporary supporters of CRT like Ibram X. Kendi: CRT views disparities in outcomes as racist; denials of racism are proof of racism; white people are born with unearned privilege and must denounce their privilege if racism is to be defeated; capitalism is designed to maintain the suppression of non-marginalized communities; institutions like the Constitution, property rights, and individualism support racism; and in order to be anti-racist you must also be anti-capitalist . (Citations are available for these positions if desired.) Like all complex topics these examples only touch on some of the principles, but generally speaking if one or more of these principles are present in any policies, curriculums or training then one can conclude that CRT is present in the school system.

To get a better sense of how CRT became integrated into the Montgomery County school system, the Transparency in Education program has been working with groups in Montgomery County who were among the first to identify how deeply CRT materials and principles had become integrated into teacher and administrative training in that county. Based on those discussions and given the current definitions of racism in the proposed Anti-Racism policy presented by the Racial Equity Committee along with the discussions regarding how disparate racial outcomes should be classified, and the fact that CRT has been part of the conversation in committee meetings since at least last year, it appears that CRT principles are being considered for integration into (at least) the policies of the FCPS. The release of the criteria and materials for determining the root cause of disparate racial outcomes and the final definition of racism that will guide the new policy (detailed in a separate article on this website) will go a long way to determining if CRT principles are on their way to being adopted and integrated into the FCPS system. A more detailed review of the status of actions, materials, and outside firms being considered for internal training will be posted in several weeks.

More to Come.