Wilmington Schools: We Don't Teach Critical Race Theory

WILMINGTON, MA — Critical Race Theory is not being taught in Wilmington Public Schools, the district said Tuesday in a statement.

Critical race theory is a decades-old legal and academic framework that looks at and critiques how race and racism shaped the U.S. laws and institutions that remain in place today and help perpetuate racism and a kind of caste system that continues to the disadvantage of people of color.

The phrase has become a catchall for various claims about racism and race relations in the United States having nothing to do with critical race theory itself.

>>Read the full district statement.

"With the recognition that this confusion and controversy is growing, the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) recently released a document designed to better illustrate the differences between CRT and educational equity," the district said, linking to the document.

Critical race theory is not and has never been part of the Massachusetts social studies curriculum, the document notes.

Instead, the district curriculum seeks to "develop students’ critical consciousness, linked to civic dispositions, by examining issues of power, equity, and justice in the past and present, allowing them to make evidence-based arguments regarding important historical and current events," according to the statement. "We believe that education must be relevant, current, and meaningful for all children we serve."

The district curriculum is guided by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and designed collaboratively between the staff and the School Committee, the statement reads.

"Our strategic plan includes a focus on a culture of inclusion," the district said. "We strive to foster an inclusive learning environment and culture of respect in all classrooms, cultivating respect for diverse ideas and viewpoints."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.