Target: Dr. Mark Miles, Superintendent of Rockwood School District
Goal: Include Critical Race theory in public school curriculum.
The mother of a student enrolled in Rockwood School District went viral after she was recorded at a community meeting heatedly presenting her opinion on Critical Race theory in public school curriculum. The mother reportedly declared, “Just because I don’t want Critical Race theory taught to my children at school does not mean that I’m a racist, damn it!” The Rockwell School District serves a predominantly white community. Local news outlets reported that the woman’s statement was met with a standing ovation.
Critical Race theory is defined by Encyclopedia Britannica as “an intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings, but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color.” In support of Critical Race theory in curriculum, Dr. Shelley Willcott said, “What we’re trying to do in curriculum is present various perspectives. We’re not saying that we support one or the other. We’re just trying to engage in conversation about how different people think and how different people may see things.”
The Rockwood School District reported that administrators have received death threats over the school’s lesson plans. Clearly, this is a community that needs to promote education around different perspectives and the different social experiences of people of color.
Sign this petition to urge the Rockwood School District to include Critical Race theory in their public school curriculum.
PETITION LETTER:
To Dr. Miles,
Education is one of the strongest drivers of social change. In communities that are segregated and racially isolated, it is the duty of educators to ensure that students are receiving information and resources that broaden their perspectives and address different experiences based on race. It would be a disservice not to prepare Rockwood students for the world outside of their immediate communities by teaching Critical Race theory.
I urge you to include Critical Race theory in lesson plans so that students are exposed to different perspectives and ideas, preparing them for life beyond the Rockwood School district and ensuring that they can be positive forces in society.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Gramps@capetownbrown
People are mired in fear and ignorance. Getting a standing ovation to remarks that defend continued racist thinking is confirmation that people are truly mean and stubbornly stupid. We have more creature comfort and social safety that ever before in history and this is the best we can do. We are a tragic and horrible species.
Agreed.
The sooner the better! Knowledge is power and education is the way to achieve it.