With ongoing conversations regarding ‘Critical Race Theory (CRT)’ in classrooms across the country, State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carey Wright told SuperTalk this morning that the controversial curriculum hasn’t made its way into Mississippi schools.
“I have not heard anything about that in K-12,” she said. That’s not risen its head, I’ve not had letters, I’ve not had emails about that. We’ve got our standards, our Social Studies standards, which are based on the history of the United States, and that’s already been out there; it’s been out for public comment. It’s pretty black and white in terms of facts. I’ve not had anybody express concern about that being taught.”
Britannica, the online encyclopedia, outlines the belief of critical race theorists “that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans.”
When asked if she believes that CRT could be taught in Mississippi under a different guise, Dr. Wright stated that the MDE is trusting districts, superintendents, and administrators to stick to the standards.
“If the teachers are teaching the standards, then I would feel very confident that the answer to that question is ‘no’ because it’s not in our standards. All we’ve said to our teachers, whether it’s an English teacher or a Social Studies teacher, is if you teach the standards, you’re good to go. That’s all you need to focus on.” Dr. Wright said.
State Senator Angela Hill, a vocal opponent of CRT, expressed her belief that similar teachings are taking place in Mississippi through the recent adoption of socio-emotional learning standards (S.E.L.).
So far, five states have enacted legislation to ban the teaching of CRT in its public schools. Mississippi is not one of those five states, but Governor Tate Reeves recently stated that he is adamantly opposed to CRT and that he would be prepared to support such legislation if it is being taught in Mississippi schools.
