Paso Robles school board delays decision on proposed critical race theory ban

June 24, 2021

Paso Robles Unified School District Board

By KAREN VELIE

The Paso Robles Unified School District Board took no action Tuesday evening on a proposed resolution to ban teaching critical race theory in district schools.

Before public comment, the board agreed to end the meeting no later than 11 p.m. After more than an hour of heated remarks, the board agreed to delay voting on the resolution.

Last week, Trustee Dorian Baker proposed a resolution banning critical race theory (CRT), with was then penned by Board President Christopher Arend. The resolution challenges the fundamental assumptions of CRT and bans its teachings.

“Critical race theory is a divisive ideology that assigns moral fault to individuals solely on the basis of an individual’s race and, therefore, is itself a racist ideology,” according to the proposed resolution. “Critical race theory views social problems primarily as racial problems and, thus, detracts from analysis of underlying socio-economic causes of social problems.”

CRT is not currently taught in Paso Robles public schools.

Proponents of the ban referred to CRT as divisive and racist. They voiced concerns that CRT is used to indoctrinate student.

Opponents of the ban argued that CRT shows how racism is rooted in our culture.

The chair of the SLO County Democratic Party Central Committee, Rita Casaverde, called the attempt to ban CRT part of a conservative political agenda.

While the trustees appeared uniformly opposed to teaching CRT in district schools, several trustees voiced their concerns with the proposed resolution. The board then agreed to delay a vote on the subject, with loose plans to hold a special meeting in the future.


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How dare those meddling rednecks have an opinion! They need to sit down, shut up, pay their taxes and leave this to the liberal “experts.” Sod off, rubes!


Our children need to be educated, not indoctrinated. Those who claim we need to include CRT in our schools are Marxist, and can go push their agenda somewhere else. If God hadn’t been thrown out of schools, children would be learning compassion, caring and love for others. Same with our world. If we treated others as we want to be treated, there would be no racism and hate. Society has taken a turn straight to hell, but the good news is, God hasn’t given up on us. Thank you Jesus! And thank you Lord that you are not republican nor democrat but a loving, forgiving God who sees us ALL as your children.


Republicans’ frenzy about teaching the history of racism in schools is nothing more than a cynical political strategy to take back the House in the 2022 midterms. It’s being driven by right-wing advocacy groups like the Heritage Foundation and ALEC, the right-wing media ecosystem, and a host of former Trump officials. It is by no means a grassroots movement of “concerned parents” as Republicans are claiming.


The Heritage Foundation has circulated memos outlining how parents can use Freedom of Information Act requests to harass school boards with inquiries about what’s being taught in classrooms. Fox News mentioned the term “critical race theory” nearly 1,300 times over a three-and-a-half month span, driving a nonstop outrage cycle and hiding the true nature of the GOP’s ploy. Steve Bannon, Trump’s former top advisor, said that the focus on teaching the history of racism in schools is “the Tea Party to the 10th power” and that he sees the issue as “how we are going to win…50 seats in 2022.”


This isn’t grassroots activism — it’s a coordinated strategy from the top down. Know the truth about Republicans’ cynical ploy, and spread the word.


Why delay? What wimps! CRT states the color of your skin matters. That is racism. Don’t allow this nasty Progressive cr**! And make that decision now.


Another manufactured, bar stool, Fox and talk radio listeners’, cultural outrage ploy that nobody cares about. The “Banning Doctor Seuss” thangy had better traction. Why are we wasting taxpayer time and money on this?


I think you need to realize how far off the path education has strayed from my time and likely yours. Have you seen how some places teach basic math these days? Curriculum is important.


Sounds like a CNN soundbite


So teaching CRT is not a part of the progressive agenda?