When people use the word “equity” it’s because they want whatever they’re associating it with to sound “fair.” But when it comes to racial matters, equity is the opposite of fairness. Equity in practice means discriminating in the name of ending discrimination. It’s hardly fair, but that doesn’t stop those who believe in inflicting social justice on others in the name of equity from trying to disguise it as a positive thing.
Granite School District created two documents on equity. The first document is a Q&A on Race and Curriculum, created in September of 2021, based on the Utah State Board’s controversial R277-328 Educational Equity rule. In this document the district emphasizes the topics that shouldn’t be included in classroom discussion, and stresses the need for teachers to present racial topics in an “unbiased” and “balanced” manner. According to district emails, the Q&A was distributed to teachers to “get ahead of parent complaints or teacher ‘gotchas.'”
From the document it almost seems like the district is at least attempting an even-handed approach at racial issues. But before we pat GSD on the back, let’s pull aside the curtain to see what was being communicated to educators through more private channels.
In August 2021, one month before Granite’s Q&A on Race Curriculum hit teachers’ inboxes, the district put out one of many “educational equity” newsletters containing a link to this Racial Equity Educational Resources Resource Toolkit for School Staff, which walks teachers along the process of promoting equity activism to students through classroom activities, curriculum and instruction, etc.
If you click through the links, it’s clear Granite’s Educational Equity department wants teachers to embed racialized viewpoints, topics, and approaches into every aspect of curriculum and instruction.
Social Justice “Standards”? Yes, they’re a thing. And not a good thing, either, unless you’re all about cultural Marxist conformity.
Does any kid prefer learning all about White Rage and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome to, say, dodgeball?
Any pretense at balanced, non-biased pedagogy has simply disappeared. In its place is a race-obsessed, non-academic how-to manual on social justice activism and woke groupthink.
The question isn’t IF Critical Race Theory is being taught in Utah schools. The question is if schools can continue to disguise that they’re doing it.
