Does the school district teach Critical Race Theory (CRT)?
No. CRT is not a curriculum. It is a theory. Moreover, CRT means different things to different people as it is a very complex, doctoral-level theory.
Does the district teach about things like the civil rights era?
Yes. These are facts about our country’s history. To ignore and not teach about things like civil rights and the Jim Crow Laws only provides a tremendous disservice to the education of students.
When race, culture or other societal issues come up, are they discussed in classrooms?
Sometimes. These issues are discussed if grade-level appropriate and they connect to the curriculum/course content.
If today’s news makes its way into one of our classroom lessons, discussions or if students ask questions, then our highly-qualified staff are trained to teach critical thinking skills. Never is it to show one side or to promote one side.
Did the school district establish the Global & Cultural Perspectives committee in response to societal, political, racial issues, etc. that have occurred since 2020?
No. The committee has been in place since 2015 and was created as part of our Destination 2026 strategic plan and instructional vision that students will be global learners and deeply committed members of the community and world.
Does the Global & Cultural Perspectives committee have decision-making authority about school district policies or practices?
No. The committee has no decision-making authority about school district policies or practices; rather its primary function is to learn more about global and cultural issues and assist in planning professional development for staff.
Why did the school district conduct an audit on how the district is doing with Global & Cultural Perspectives?
The purpose of the Audit was to gather data and feedback from current staff, parents and students to assess areas of strength and opportunity for growth and create a better understanding, as a system, of what and how we are currently doing with recognizing and treating all persons.
Specifically, the audit was planned and conducted in response to feedback and concerns shared last summer (2020) that the school district was (1) not doing enough to educate students on global and cultural topics; (2) not providing students opportunities to explore/use diverse resources; (3) not making all students feel welcome and included.
Will the results of the school district’s audit be shared?
Yes. The audit findings are posted on the school district’s Global & Cultural Perspectives webpage.
Why did the school district start cultural intelligence courses in the 7th grade and high school level during the 2021-2022 school year?
The creation of these courses was driven by our Destination 2026 work and the need to be intentional and purposeful to ensure our students develop the skills to communicate with peers around the world.
After public discussion at the November, 2020 Board of Education meeting, the district began the process of creating a required 7th grade “Cultural Intelligence” semester course and an elective high school “Human Experience & Cultural Perspectives” course. In these courses, students will have opportunities to learn and grow their cultural intelligence through exploration of various cultural and global topics.
Did the school district’s Global & Cultural Perspectives Committee create the Cultural Intelligence courses?
No. The courses of study for both classes were not created by the Global & Cultural Perspectives committee; The foundational content for the courses is based on David Livermore’s Cultural Intelligence work that is known and used around the world.
Will the Critical Race Theory (CRT) or any set of particular beliefs, ideologies or opinions about global, societal and /or cultural issues be taught as the “correct” way to think in these courses?
No. We have been very clear that these courses, as in all courses in our district, will not convey any particular set of particular beliefs, ideologies or opinions about global, societal and /or cultural issues as the correct way to think. This includes the concept of white privilege, the oppressed vs. oppressor theory, specific politically motivated movements or any component of critical race theory.