by James A. Bacon
Well, you’ve got to give Virginia Democrats credit: they have succeeded in persuading the public to accept their misrepresentation of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s campaign against “inherently divisive concepts” in public schools as a move to ban teaching the history of slavery, segregation and racism. A poll from Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center shows that 63% of Virginia voters support “teaching how racism continues to impact American society today” and 57% oppose a ban on the teaching of Critical Race Theory.
“While Critical Race Theory is currently not specifically taught in K-12 public schools in the state, the topic gained political traction during the 2021 gubernatorial campaign and Governor Youngkin signed an executive order banning its teaching on his first day in office,” said a Wason Center press release in providing context for the poll results.
The Wason Center statement is a fair description of how Youngkin’s policies are presented by Democrats, and may be a fair reflection of how they are understood by the public. But the polling questions are based on premises that are flat-out wrong.
The implication of the Wason Center questionnaire — and of stunts by Democratic Party lawmakers offering amendments in support of things they want taught in public schools, such as the history of Jim Crow, segregation, and the “Lost Cause” of the Confederacy (see Steve Haner’s “Ten Things Democrats Want Taught in Schools“) — is that someone somewhere actually proposes banning slavery, segregation and racism from the teaching of history.
Youngkin did not “ban” the teaching of “Critical Race Theory” in his executive order, as Wason says outright, much less ban the teaching of racism, as it implies by posing the question.
The executive order ends “the use of” what it terms “inherently divisive concepts, including critical race theory.” But it says nothing about ending the teaching of those concepts. Rather, the executive order seeks to reverse policies implemented by previous administrations. Specifically, the order directs the following:
“The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall review all policies within the Department of Education to identify those that promote inherently divisive concepts. Such policies shall be ended.” Policies shall be ended.
“The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall immediately review all guidelines, websites, best practices and other material produced by the Department of Education…” The focus here is on VDOE policies and communications.
“Executive employees shall be prohibited from directing or otherwise compelling students to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to inherently divisive concepts.” Two points here: Youngkin is talking about “executive employees,” or administrators here, not teachers. And he’s upholding the rights of students to maintain freedom of conscience, not be compelled to express adherence to social-justice ideologies.
“The superintendent of Public Instruction shall review the Department of Education’s Cultural Competency Training to determine if it or any portion promotes inherently divisive concepts, and take action consistent with the laws of Virginia to modify such training….” Cultural Competency Training is directed toward teachers, not students. Such training may vary from school district to school district, but in many instances it is informed by “woke” ideological assumptions of “systemic racism,” “White privilege,” and “White oppression.”
The Executive Order is very clear about it’s concerns: inherently divisive concepts are those which “instruct” students to view life only through the lens of race and “presumes that some students are consciously or unconsciously racist, sexist, or oppressive, and that other students are victims.”
The intent of reviewing Cultural Competency Training is to ensure that “teachers and schools are prepared to engage students on important civics and historical issues in a fair and unbiased manner without imposing their own personal beliefs.” Once again, the goal here is to protect students from indoctrination.
There is nothing in here — N-O-T-H-I-N-G — that would ban the teaching of the unsavory aspects of Virginia history along with the uplifting aspects of it. Any insinuation to the contrary is a grotesque lie. Let me spell that out, too: L-I-E.
The legislative companion to Youngkin’s executive order, HB 787, submitted by Delegate Dave LaRock, R-Loudoun, and two co-sponsors, illuminates what Youngkin means by inherently divisive concepts. The bill would prohibit teaching that (and I quote directly):
(i) one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;
(ii) the Commonwealth or the United States is fundamentally racist or sexist;
(iii) an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously;
(iv) an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individual’s race or sex;
(v) an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by the individual’s race or sex;
(vi) an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;
(vii) an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex; or
(viii) meritocracy or traits, such as a hard work ethic, are racist or sexist or were created by a particular race to oppress another race.
(Read the full text here.)
One can quibble with the wording. One cannot say — not without lying through their teeth — that the bill would ban teaching how racism impacts American society.
Here’s an idea. Why doesn’t Wason conduct a poll and ask Virginians to respond to the specific concepts that LaRock et al. propose banning. “Would you agree or disagree that the following concepts should be taught in public schools?”:
- one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;
- the Commonwealth and the United States are fundamentally racist; etc.
I’d like to see those results.
What are the odds Wason will ever poll the questions? About the same that Virginia’s establishment media will ever report the issues fully and honestly.
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