This Thursday, the State School Board will vote whether to make amendments to their new Rule regarding Critical Race Theory (based on public feedback), or let it go into effect the way it is. Many Board members are happy with the Rule and will likely vote not to make changes. In doing so, they will disappoint thousands of parents by failing to stop the teaching and praxis of CRT in Utah classrooms. The "Rule Interpretation" section actually nullifies the "prohibition" section thereby allowing CRT to continue. In addition, the Rule actually mandates CRT by installing its policy infrastructures and teaching its tenets by use of euphamistic language associated with the theory. This concern was expressed multiple times in public comment and should be addressed.
For that reason I have just put forward a single amendment that amounts to replacing the current Rule almost entirely - an amendment that will actually do the job the legislature tasked the Board with - that of stopping CRT - without leaving a back door open which allows it to continue making inroads into classrooms and the minds of our children.
My amendment goes much further towards eradicating CRT praxis and divisive concepts from being taught in Utah schools and it puts parents back in the driver's seat! My amendment will require transparency and accountability from our teachers and administrators and will put whistleblower protections in place for parents, teachers, students, and administrators that come forward.
Please email your state school Board member BEFORE THURSDAY at Board@schools.utah.gov and ask them to:
"VOTE YES on Member Cline's amendment to R277-328"
Include protections you feel my amendment provides against CRT that are missing in the current Rule (my amendment is attached for your reading pleasure!).
CRT will continue to infiltrate our schools unless the Board passes a Rule that actually restores the principles of freedom, diversity of thought, political neutrality and historically accurate teaching in Utah classrooms (through a Constitutional lens) via proper professional development of Utah's teachers, administrators, advisory and governing boards, Superintendencies, auxiliary staff, specialists, counselors, and all other employees and contracted help. This will require clearly defining terms, exposing divisive and deceptive concepts, and defining appropriate vs inappropriate instruction, resources, curriculum, assignments, assessments, displays, discussions, programs, presentations, etc.
As it currently stands, the Board Rule fails to fulfill the intent of the House & Senate and SCC resolutions which directed the USBE Board to prevent the teaching of CRT by way of various methods of training and instruction.
Every good policymaker knows that the teeth of a Rule (or law) is won or lost in the definition section. Proponents of CRT are masters at implementing "strategic ambiguity" into laws and policies thereby rendering them ineffective, or worse, subverting them for their own purposes. The current Rule is a perfect example of strategy ambiguity.
My amendment seeks to clearly define important terms in order to protect the intent of the language and rule, so that it won't be subverted or rendered ineffective. When fighting something as deceptive and divisive as CRT, it has never been more important to explicitly define our terms!
Therefore, the first 13 pages of my amendment, painstakingly lays a strong foundation of context and understanding by:
•defining essential words
•listing common CRT edu-speak terms
•highlighting current Utah laws that:
▪︎protect parental rights in education;
▪︎put limits on what teachers are allowed to teach, and that
▪︎require U.S. history, civics, character education and the U.S. Constitution to be taught and promoted as superior to any other form of government or political ideology.
The “meat” of my amendment regarding professional learning and student instruction doesn't begin until pg 14. A table of contents has been provided and color-coding by section has been included for ease of reading.
For LEAs (districts) and schools that have not been corrupted by CRT, this amendment framework provides a sound safeguard against infiltration and for those schools that have already been damaged, it offers solutions, clarity, and remedy for healing.
Parent and citizen involvement has never been so important! Please email the Board TODAY and ask them to please "VOTE YES on Member Cline's amendment"
Thank you for your support!
Natalie Cline
USBE Board Member, District 11
