FH for JUST Education

FOIA CRT

Freedom of Information Act from May 2021; request to review information related to Critical Race Theory in FHPS.

FOIA Request

This FOIA from May 2021 began as a request to review information related to Critical Race Theory and some of its named equivalencies in FHPS from March 2020 to May 2021. The original request included Global Learners Initiative (GLI) program, the Anti-racist video produced at NHMS, the phrase “Critical Race Theory,” the phrase anti-racist and its various spellings, the words equity, inclusion and/or diversity and Board Meetings for Curriculum review. The FHPS administrator for FOIA requests replied to the request that it would take “significant work” and cost $409,899.10 and be charged to the requester (#9). The writer of the request then negotiated with FHPS for 3 months to find a more feasible request and to waive fees in public interest. The fee waiver was expressly denied by the FOIA administrator due to “the nationwide discussion and local public interest surrounding CRT as it relates to school curriculum.” The FOIA request was reduced to merely the phrase, “Critical Race Theory,” in staff, board and Superintendent emails. Individual parents donated to the final $2197 cost of the request and four banker boxes of documents, some 1900 emails and thousands of pages have been cataloged and scanned.

FOIA: Critical Race Theory (CRT)

This is a review of those emails with the phrase Critical Race Theory (CRT) in FHPS staff and administration from March 2020 to May 2021.

What is Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Is It Taught in Forest Hills Public Schools?

Critical Race Theory is a framework for understanding or analyzing society. This framework, in and of itself, is not taught. Rather it provides an ideology, or worldview, through which many subjects are taught and through which the FHPS administration governs our school district. A working definition of CRT can be found in an article emailed to the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum from December 2020. The article entitled, “Critical Race Theory,” states,

“CRT recognizes that racism is ingrained in the fabric and system of American society…racism is pervasive in the dominant culture. This is the analytical lens that CRT uses in examining existing power structures. CRT identifies that these power structures are based on white privilege and white supremacy, which perpetuates the marginalization of people of color.” (#176)

CRT manifests itself in the following terms: “anti-racism”, diversity, equity, inclusion, “white privilege,” “white-supremacy,” “whiteness,” “cultural competence,” “culturally responsive learning,” bias (whether implicitly or explicitly), systemic racism, social justice and social activism.

Critical Race Theory ideology is embedded into the administration of our school system. Embracing and utilizing education to move forward “the work” of anti-racism within a framework of CRT is illustrated in a letter signed by many Superintendents of the KISD including FHPS Superintendent, Dan Behm.

The letter says the work begins with “those in leadership recognizing their role in dismantling systems of oppression.” They “commit to using their positions – including the authority, access and privilege that come with them – to show an unwavering commitment to the values of diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion.” They vow to “tirelessly work to interrupt and end harmful or inequitable practices and policies, eliminate implicit and explicit biases, and create truly inclusive, culturally responsive, antiracist school environments for adults and children.” They continue, “Only then will we reverse the historic systems of injustice that have plagued our nation for far too long.”

This vow is echoed in a letter from June 3, 2020 from Superintendent Behm to the Forest Hills community, where he explains systemic racism, white supremacy, and the need to work “collaboratively to root it out of every system and institution.” The tool for eradication is education and systems must be opened to “critical examinations to uncover the ways racism becomes institutionalized.” Working together, “we learn how to become anti-racists committed to taking bold action to eradicate this pandemic” of racism.

Christopher Rufo of the City Journal has done extensive research into CRT and has published a helpful primer for understanding this topic entitled, “Critical Race Theory Briefing Book.” Rufo’s work is an especially helpful tool for understanding CRT as he draws from the original theorists and thinkers of this ideology and how its constructs appear in our everyday lives. Another helpful resource from the Heritage Foundation more deeply explores the roots of CRT and its effects in society. With these authoritative sources in mind, there is evidence of teaching according to CRT in Forest Hills Public Schools.

Forest Hills For JUST Education

FOIA FINDINGS

All emails in the FOIA request by definition had to contain the phrase “Critical Race Theory.” That phrase is consistently tied to other key phrases that were in the original unobtained FOIA request. Some of the connected phrases are “anti-racism,” diversity, equity, inclusion, “white privilege,” “white-supremacy,” “cultural competence,” “culturally responsive learning,” bias, systemic racism, social justice and social activism. All references to CRT in this review will include the ideological framework of CRT and these related terms. We see this lens applied in all subjects and bending education to a unidimensional critical view of power, race and society.

The FHPS Board, teachers and Administration have expressly denied having knowledge of the concept of CRT (Superintendent Dan Behm statements at February and March 2020 public Board Of Education meetings). However, this FOIA has uncovered:

Mass mailings show a pervasiveness of CRT and its ideology in education of which professionals in the district must have, at least, a passing knowledge.

This is evident from the beginning of the FOIA request, March 2020, long before parents began questioning the practice of CRT in FHPS. These come from National, State and local institutions, government and groups. Grand Valley State University is seen (#340) hosting seminars in “Anti-racism and White Consciousness.” Several conferences hosted Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings as keynote speaker whose “research investigates how Critical Race Theory can be applied in Education.” One such training (#410-422) was advertised through the Educational Network of Greater Grand Rapids in October 2020. It was delivered to all principals and administration titled, “New Teacher Virtual Huddle” featuring Ladson-Billings and a KISD leader with the topic of, “How to Be An Anti-racist Educator.” Another (#271), from Michigan State K-12 Outreach sent to much of the staff featured the same CRT researcher Dr. Ladson Billings.

Social activism is another key component of CRT and an area of concern. Laced through seminars are tips and instructions to help students become activists. Harvard (# 216) provides “Resources to talk about Activism and Critical Race Theory in your Classroom.” This includes “how educators can develop curriculum that builds student’s capacities as civic actors.”

Over 200 distinct seminars, trainings and articles were sent to teachers, staff, and administration, including Superintendent Dan Behm, containing merely the exact phrase “CRT” in the search period. These include training and tips on implementing CRT et al in the K-12 classroom. This infiltration of CRT is seen throughout the educational system, in Administration, English, Social Studies, Math and Science.

Administrators and building principals received information from the Leadership academy that explicitly links Culturally Responsive Learning to Critical Race Theory. It advocates that “rather than take a colorblind approach to governing,” they suggest “the importance of using critical race theory to identify and dismantle racist systems and structures that undergird our nation.” The FHPS administration have said that they studied together and have been proponents of Culturally Responsive Learning. The advertised conference assumes as an everyday fact the tie between the two ideas of Culturally Responsive Learning and Critical Race Theory.

It is important to note the date, November 2020; This information was in circulation long before parents began to ask questions pertaining to CRT. There has been repeated denial of CRT within FHPS from district leadership. (#494-497, #218, 222,224,226,229).

Also, professional learning from the Michigan Dept of education includes a session on “School Finance & Critical Race Theory” in July 2020 (#528) that was sent to all administrators. Important to note that there are many mailings that touch on the topic of President Trump banning CRT from fall 2020 (#489, #493, #500,#535) and establish CRT as part of the national conversation about education. Superintendent Dan Behm and other administrators received (#496) a leadership newsletter in September 2020 that discusses the Trump ban on CRT and emphasizes that educators must “own this responsibility” to “see a way forward to disrupting inequitable systems.” We see that language echoed by administration in letters and statements to the public including a letter from the Superintendent entitled, “Addressing Two Pandemics”.

ELA appears to have the most influence from CRT et al. From June 2020 the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) recommends books on topics including, “Counterstory: The Rhetoric and Writing of Critical Race Theory (#514).” Also, the National Council of teachers of English sent throughout the district highlights a book with sample lessons with approaches to “center equity” in students, “questions to pose about oppression,” “questions for reflection on equity and social change” (#523). This national organization also offers recommendations of books for social justice and critical theory (#187). It is noted (#162) that a FHPS principal forwarded a “resource” to teachers. This article entitled, “A Pathway to Racial Literacy,” is written for Social studies but was stated that it could “help ELA teachers too.” The article states that “we have yet to come to terms with the continued existence of white supremacy” and how the framework proposed “helps us understand how White people, as a racialized category and White norms, as an ideology control access to social, cultural and economic resources and decision making, and can lead (and have led) to institutionalization of racist policies and practices.” It then moves on to a pedagogy of leading students to activism.

Other subjects have shown evidence of CRT et al ideology. In Feb 2021, the Michigan Science Teachers Association (MSTA) promoted the annual conference with one keynote speaker who helps to understand how “the intersection of race, gender, class and language impact learning opportunities” and “work to re-imagine engineering and science learning environments” (#271). This conference also featured CRT apologist Dr. Ladson-Billings. A mailing from the American Education History Journal includes articles in “Praise for CRT in the Academy” (#260) Lessons in the 1619 projects and the American Bar Association’s Division for Public Education discussion of the “basic tenets of Critical Race theory” were shared with math teachers (#318).

There is one (#589) article that acknowledges the controversy surrounding CRT and covers “how to teach anti-racist curriculum in less welcoming communities.” The advice sums up the how “the work” is being done in FHPS: “In order to effectively adopt anti-racist practices schools and districts must create the conditions to do the work. All schools, especially those in White communities, should embrace the idea of becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable and utilizing liberatory pedagogies to teach culturally responsive curriculum in the coming year. In theory, this means districts must collectively commit to expanding social emotional capacity…commit to being actively anti-racist…reimagining and cultivating an anti-racist culture district wide.”

It goes on to encourage introspection and interrogating your personal core values which construct pathologies and narratives you believe are critical. Resistance is found in “predominantly White communities” that embrace “the myth of meritocracy;” “it is especially true in communities where there are People of Color with racist beliefs rooted in White settler colonial ideologies driven by colonized perspectives.” “Theoretically, this may look like using frameworks and protocols to challenge the inherently racist, White settler colonial, patriarchal, and hegemonic ideologies upon which education is founded… An example of liberatory practice is developing a critical consciousness of educators so that they are equipped to utilize critical theories and /or frameworks such as Critical Race Theory to examine the district to determine whether racism, classism, sexism, ableism, homo and/or/ transphobia, etc., exist.”

Upon full review, it is clear that the conditions to do “the work” are well established given the pervasiveness of CRT ideology revealed throughout the FOIA obtained correspondence amongst FHPS faculty, administration and staff.