By Matt de Simone
Last Thursday, the Botetourt County School Board held its monthly meeting in Fincastle. A crowd of Botetourt County community members attended the meeting where the School Board announced in a statement that “Botetourt County Public Schools (BCPS) has not and will not be teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT).”
The meeting involved a discussion about BCPS standards and curriculum involving CRT. Concerned parents packed themselves inside the meeting room (and lobby) last Thursday to hear what decisions the board made concerning what BCPS will or won’t teach.
“The term is not in the standards nor curriculum,” School Board Chairman Anna Weddle mentioned in a board-approved statement. The statement went on to note that the School Board doesn’t support teaching CRT in K-12 education this school year or in the following 2022-23 school year.
The principles of CRT include that racism and different racial results bring forth social and institutional variabilities upholding the interests of “White America.” Essentially, the theory suggests that public school systems teach a “colorblind” history to students. A fundamental belief in CRT involves a framework where an individual’s race can also crossover into other identities—like a person’s gender—to construct a further disadvantage for non-Whites.
The board reserved public comments for two 45-minute sessions that bookended the meeting. Community members spoke out on their concerns involving the teaching of CRT in public schools, parents potentially removing their children if CRT was a part of BCPS standards, and transgender student rights regarding the use of school facilities (bathrooms, locker rooms).
Buchanan District representative Michelle Austin read a letter 19th House District representative Del. Terry Austin wrote to the Virginia Secretary of Education, Atif Qarni, in June. In the letter, Del. Austin requested for CRT not to be taught in BCPS.
In the letter, Del. Austin states, “At a recently held school board meeting, numerous groups have spoken in opposition to the potential direction we are headed. Parents are rightfully concerned when they hear that the Commonwealth is considering a public school system curriculum that has the potential to create an unnecessary, divisive environment. We can all agree that mental health should be a priority for our children.
“Acknowledging our country’s history, its differing perspectives, and diverse cultural priorities should be a positive experience, not one where children are made to feel guilty for something they took no part in,” Del. Austin continued. “Our schools should be a place where children learn to think critically, communicate effectively, and develop the skills necessary to be productive and well-adjusted citizens of society.”
Michelle Austin went on to explain that despite the School Board not being on board with the teaching of CRT, many people still don’t believe them. She mentioned that her conversations with Del. Austin helped prepare her own letter she submitted to Secretary Qarni last week, which she shared with the board and community members in attendance.
In the letter, the Buchanan representative mentioned the concerns of the community about CRT. She said in her letter that constituents “fear that the technical edits to the history curriculum for the 2022-23 school year may somehow be the start of inappropriate indoctrination of our students.”
“One element of diversity, equity, and inclusion is geographic inclusion,” Austin continued in her letter. She asked for the inclusion of more members for the commission to represent those areas in Virginia currently being “ignored.” Her letter also mentioned concerns of teachers’ parents, fearing their children will be caught in the middle of a “divisive environment” when teaching CRT.
Austin made it clear the edits are not supposed to take effect until the 2022-23 school year. She told the board and those in attendance that she will share that information when it becomes available once she hears back from Secretary Qarni and VDOE.
To watch last week’s School Board meeting in its entirety, visit bcps.live/archives.