The Sconi

Multiple school districts in Wisconsin have decided to cut instructional time in order to teach classes and have discussions concerning equality and the Critical Race Theory, despite math and English test scores decreasing. 

Schools implementing the new educational courses focused on teaching equality include Madison Metropolitan School District, La Crosse School District, Burlington School District and Middleton-Cross Plains School District. 

“This is about leveling the playing field of providing access for all,” co-chief of Madison Metropolitan secondary schools Marvin Pryor said.

According to the Daily Signal, La Crosse School District recently received a grant for more than $26,000 from the La Crosse Public Education fund to put toward “an intensive racial justice workshop for all staff at Longfellow Middle School, books and materials for pre-kindergarten classes at 10 sites.”

At Middleton-Cross Plains School District, students will take part in a week-long "Activism Training" course held during the normal English class time period. 

Madison Metropolitan School District plans to phase out stand-alone honors classes for freshmen and sophomores in the 2021-2022 academic year, replacing it with an earned honors system. The Cap Times reports that demographic disparity is one reason behind the change.

Burlington Area School District has also implemented a program that allows for K-5 students to take time out every day to "form a community circle" where teachers discuss with the children "conversations around race and equity." Middle and high schoolers will be required to attend at least one weekly meeting intended to “incorporate lessons regarding social justice, equity, anti-bullying and character development,” according to the school district website.  

Burlington Area School District actually started the program last year during the 2020-2021 academic year as a pilot program called the "Listening Library" in partnership with the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, the school district website explained. 

Elmbrook School District, which has not implemented a program, has created a list of “equity non-negotiables” that includes the following language: “Equity does not mean equal. Achieving educational equity will mean that schools and students may receive different resources based on specific needs. Nevertheless, the district will provide every student with equitable access to high-quality curriculum, support, facilities and other educational opportunities," the Journal Sentinel reported. Elmbrook school board has since tabled the vote in implementing the list. 

Those against the implementation of such programs say schools need to be more focused on teaching math and English, since many Wisconsin schools are seeing decreasing scores and literacy. 

The MacIver Institute found that in Wisconsin, only 12% of black students were proficient in English and 13% in math during the 2018-2019 school year, according to the Daily Signal. 

At Middleton-Cross Plains School District, the literacy rate for black students is 17%, while DPI proficiency at La Crosse School District is below the state average with only 7% of black students proficient in math and 8.8% proficient in English Language Arts. 

One commentary from the MacIver Institute said it is "frustrating and concerning to learn that districts across the state are taking time out of their literacy classes to train students to be activists," as reported by the Daily Signal. 

"I would prefer that my daughter's time at school be spent on learning math, science, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are needed in the real world," said a parent speaking at a recent school board listening session, adding the opinion that CRT is founded on "divisiveness and ignorance," another Journal Sentinel article reported.

CRT, or critical race theory, is defined as an "intellectual movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of color," according to Britannica.