A bitter debate continues this week over Critical race theory in Texas classrooms.
In Austin, state lawmakers are debating a bill that would mandate school districts publish a list of all their teaching materials. Houston Democrat Harold Dutton told a committee Tuesday he would not let them vote on that bill, which is aimed at addressing Critical race theory.
Many parents are concerned terms like “race” and “equity” are being used to promote CRT, a controversial academic framework that often assumes there's systemic racism within the law. Mary Grabar, who's written extensively against CRT, says parents need to be aware of what their children are learning, as these terms are often glossed over by bureaucrats and academics.
“They keep changing the name or they think that they can tweak it and people won’t know the difference or are too ignorant to rebut it,” Grabar said. “But they just need to be vigilant and call it out.”
Melissa Martin, with Innovative Teachers of Texas, agrees that parents need to take the initiative to find out about their child’s curriculum.
“If parents are still concerned, then they need to possibly keep an eye on what’s going on in English classes,” Martin explained. “Because some of that [terminology] can trickle in through literature.”
Starting Wednesday, a new state law says teachers cannot be compelled to teach CRT. They also cannot be forced to discuss current events. Still, some Republicans say more legislation is needed to ensure transparency.