Bill aiming to limit “critical race theory” derailed by parliamentary procedure
Bill aiming to limit “critical race theory” derailed by parliamentary procedure
Advocates worry conservative lawmakers could tack on the substance of the bill elsewhere before the end of session.
A point of order dealt a blow to a bill that educators said would have a chilling effect on conversations about race in the classroom.(Ben Torres / Special Contributor)
3:59 PM on May 28, 2021 CDT
One of the Legislature’s most controversial education bills which advocates said would have made it more difficult to address racism in schools was derailed by a procedural maneuver just days before lawmakers are slated to leave Austin.
DALLAS â Word started spreading on NextDoor, via text message and in Facebook groups. âHigh alert!â as parents cautioned each other that Plano school trustees would be voting to buy teaching materials that spread the ideas of critical race theory.
Dozens of parents came to protest outside of the May school board meeting, many carrying signs decrying âCRTâ and urging trustees to vote against a specific agenda item. Several testified, calling critical race theory an ideological cancer and a way of making kids feel bad.
By the end, board members appeared shocked.
The agenda item in question was a contract renewal for an elective college preparation course that helps students develop study skills. The AVID program has been in Plano and many area districts for more than a decade.
How critical race theory came to dominate education debates in Texas dallasnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dallasnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Plano ISD parents, community members air concerns about textbooks they say contain racist information
The district said materials support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills but don’t encompass the entire curriculum.
Rajesh Versa, a parent of two kids in the district, holds a sign up to board members as he voices his concerns during a heated debate about diversity and inclusion at Plano ISD s board meeting at Plano Independent School District Administration Building in Plano, Texas, Tuesday, May 4, 2021.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
2:04 PM on May 11, 2021 CDT
Plano ISD parents and residents are airing concerns over textbooks and education theories they say are divisive, derogatory and inaccurate.
Chatter: April
April 7, 2021
I don’t know the right way to go about thanking you for the incredible piece you put together for your February edition. We all knew Karen’s writeup was wonderful in and of itself, but the photos, layout, presentation and everything else made it shine even brighter. We are so honored you not only took the time to help tell that story, but that you highlighted us so perfectly and professionally.
Wendy Taylor
Reporter, February
According to “Out of Sight, Out of Mind,” convicted murderer Michael Woodmansee, after being granted release from prison, “agreed to voluntarily commit himself to the Eleanor Slater Hospital in the face of two independent psychiatric evaluations determining that he remained a threat to society.” Voluntarily? Here is the question that comes to my mind: What would have happened if he had declined?