The Paso Robles School District is suggesting the possibility of banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT).
On Tuesday night after hours of listening to both sides during public comment, the board made the decision to hold off on voting on the ban and hold a special meeting to discuss this topic further. Adding details on that special meeting will be posted in these upcoming weeks on their website.
In their resolution posted online, the board argues that CRT is an ideology that assigns moral fault to individuals and therefore is itself a racist ideology. That and many other reasons listed are why they want to prohibit this but others don't agree.
"Critical Race Theory isn't an ideology, and it doesn't assign moral fault based on anyone's race. Critical Race Theory is away again to help us understand why racial inequities exist,” Cuesta and Cal Poly Part-Time professor Rosemary Wrenn said.
According to the definition of CRT, it sees racism as systemic and institutional.
Those opposed to CRT argue that it's dividing people into either oppressor or oppressed groups.
Some even suggesting that the theory advocates discrimination against white people in order to achieve equity.
“They are coming after your kids, critical race theory is a Marxist, socialist ideology, meant specifically to divide,” Michael Rivera said.
Courtney Haile executive director with the organization RACE Matters based in San Luis Obispo says that is far from the truth.
"The term is being used as a blanket statement in a very organized misinformation campaign and fear-mongering campaign to describe any study of race, any anti-racism education, and even any diversity education,” Haile said.
Wrenn adds these are the types of conversations that need to happen in the classroom in order to be better informed.
“What critical pedagogy is doing is providing students the opportunity to tell their stories.. and to see themselves reflected in the US history and the US society,” Wrenn said.
