Dallas (1080 KRLD) - Starting September first, Texas students won't be allowed to learn about critical race theory. This essentially bars some concepts related to racism from being taught in the classroom.
The new law is opposed by the Texas State Teachers Association. There, Clay Robison calls it political partisan meddling. "It would rob students of a complete education of our country's history, our flaws. And it will also discourage their political involvement because it will prohibit course credits for advocacy activities by students or going to work for a political candidate. This is the kind of stuff students have done for years."
He says it will curb classroom debate about political and controversial issues. He says some of the language in the measure is clear and some of it is ambiguous, and this will make Texas teachers uncomfortable. "I think a lot of teachers will be nervous, and I going to go too far? Am I going to get in trouble for saying this? There is a lot of fear and uncertainty out there."
He says when you educate, you tell the whole story. "You do present different perspectives. This bill would discourage or outright prohibit the presentation of certain perspectives."
Robison adds this new law could ban teachers from answering questions about Black Lives Matter. He says conservatives have given a lot of pushback to that movement and this bill probably became law as part of that. He says Black Lives Matter is a very important movement in our society.
The State Board of Education is going to be tasked with coming up with a curriculum, even though the law goes into effect on September first.
He says some of the language is muddy, but a lot of teachers will be nervous about getting in trouble for saying perhaps the wrong thing when they are trying to educate students by not allowing them to tell the whole story. For example, there are questions this law could prevent teachers from answering questions about Black Lives Matter.
The bill's author, Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, told his Texas House colleagues that the legislation was necessary. He said, "at a time when racial tensions are at a boiling point and that we don't need to burden our kids with guilt for racial crimes they had nothing to do with." Robison responds "it tells me he's pretty uninformed or deliberately misleading people. That's part of our history and it's having an impact on our efforts to provide equality for all races and that kind of attitude is an anti-education attitude."
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