Second in a series of posts debunking GOP attacks on our school board.
Fake talking point #2: “Critical Race Theory is being taught in our schools!”
In fact:
- Critical Race Theory is an advanced theoretical framework taught at the college level and in law schools
- CRT is not part of TESD curriculum in any way, shape, or form
- This was discussed at the June 14, 2021 School Board meeting; an instructional model outline was presented at the September 2021 Education meeting
- “CRT in schools” is a wedge issue invented by hard-right GOP activists like Christopher Rufo
- TESD Parents are always able to communicate their concerns directly to their students’ teachers and principals. If not satisfied with those answers, contact Wendy Towle, Director of Curriculum and Assessment.
The Background
Recently an email went out to many school parents from a group called Neighbors United, a fictitious group that appears to be a front for the Tredyffrin Republican Committee and the “Conservative Women of the Main Line.” (The email listed as a return address Rosanna Hagg, Vice Chair of the Tredyffrin Township Republicans, though Ms. Hagg later denied any association with Neighbors United. She also threatened the TTDems with legal action for simply reporting what any reader of the email could observe for themselves.)
Conservative Women of the Main Line is a hard-right group that has been extending invitations to speakers like Doug Mastriano, who attended the Jan 6 insurrection and lobbied Congress to throw out Pennsylvania’s 2020 presidential vote, and Scott Presler, a prominent anti-Muslim activist. Republican candidates and TTGOP leadership have spoken approvingly of CWML and gone so far as to be photographed selfie-style with Presler. (UPDATE: when this telling photo drew unwanted attention, the TT GOP immediately deleted it from its former perch on their Facebook feed.)
The email directed readers to a series of talking points filled with misinformation about TE School District affairs.
People who read these fake talking points should know where they originate from. We’ll address these false claims in a series of posts. This is the second.
