On August 12, 2021, the El Paso County, CO District 49, Board of Education passed a resolution opposing the principles of Critical Race Theory. We refer to schools that ban CRT as “Education Sanctuaries.” The resolution passed by a vote of 3-2. If you have a signed copy of this resolution, please send it to contact@sanctuarycounties.com.
Verification Citation/Source: El Paso County, CO – District 49 Board of Education
Resolution date passed: 12 Aug 2021
Vote Count: 3 Yea – 2 Nay
RESOLUTION OPPOSING PRINCIPLES OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (BOE) OF EL PASO COUNTY COLORADO SCHOOL DISTRICT 49 (D49), DECLARING ITS OFFICIAL OPPOSITION TO PRINCIPLES OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
WHEREAS, Nothing in this resolution shall be construed to restrict any expressive activities protected under the Constitution, including academic freedom or student political speech; and
WHEREAS, Nothing in this resolution shall require any staff member to violate federal or state law; and
WHEREAS, The BOE affirms its commitment and expectation that teachers will rely on the Colorado Academic Standards as the authoritative source for the content of instruction to provide a comprehensive education on America’s history that neither sanitizes its past, nor denies the possibility of moral progress; and
WHEREAS, The Colorado Constitution, in Article IX, Section 15, declares that the directors of each local school district “shall have control of instruction in the public schools of their respective districts,” and C.R.S. 22-32-109 sets forth the role of this Board to “determine the educational programs to be carried on in the schools of the district and to prescribe the textbooks for any course of instruction or study in such programs.”; and
WHEREAS, Public Education, properly designed, includes age-appropriate, critical thinking about the history, philosophies, and structures which comprise the American experience, including pertinent instruction regarding the founding ideals of our nation as well as the history of racism and inequality in America; and
WHEREAS, it is consistent with District 49’s cultural compass to use culturally respectful teaching approaches to give guidance on how to use the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and learning styles of ethnically diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
D49 will not use principles of Critical Race Theory (as described below) as a curriculum for classroom instruction. With this statement, D49 reiterates that:
- Neither schools, nor instructors, shall assign individuals or groups of students to participate in class or complete assignments based on their racial identity.
- Schools shall not engage in racial bias or stereotyping.
BE IT ALSO RESOLVED THAT:
District leaders and staff shall not promote the following principles associated with Critical Race Theory in D49’s classroom curricula:
- Race Essentialism: The assertion that race is the most important identity
- Collectivism: The assertion that group identity is more important than individual identity
- Accusatory characterization of individuals as oppressor or oppressed according to their race
BE IT ALSO RESOLVED THAT:
District 49 will continue to embrace and implement the tenets of our Vision and Mission, the Cultural Compass and Strategic Priorities (Big Rocks) in how we approach our work and how we treat each other
ADOPTED THIS 12th DAY OF AUGUST, 2021
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