Efforts to recall school board members are surging around the U.S. — and especially in California — amid Republican efforts to quash teaching about institutional racism.
Why it matters: Coordinated efforts by conservative groups are shaping public education, fueled by controversies over race as as well as backlash to COVID-19 closures.
The big picture: Just halfway through 2021, at least 51 local recall efforts involving K-12 school boards have been initiated this year, targeting at least 130 elected members of those boards.
- That’s more than twice the annual average, according to Ballotpedia, a website that follows election trends.
- It’s accompanying the surge of new school board candidates that Axios’ Stef Kight has been tracking.
By the numbers: California alone is home to 22 of the current recall efforts. Arizona and Idaho follow with six and four recall efforts respectively.
- By comparison, Ballotpedia counted a yearly average of 23 recall efforts against 52 school board members between 2006 and 2020.
The intrigue: Historically, school board recalls tended to stem from disputes over mismanagement, open meeting violations or allegations of corruption. But this year’s campaigns focus on efforts to snuff out teachings on critical race theory and displeasure about mask requirements.
- A political action committee led by former Trump Justice Department official Ian Prior is sponsoring a recall of school board members in Loudoun County, Virginia who belonged to a private Facebook group focused on anti-racism.
- Four of the seven members of the Mequon-Thiensville School District Board of Education in Wisconsin are being targeted over the district’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and introducing critical race theory lessons.
- Two of the five members of the Litchfield Elementary School District Governing Board in Arizona face a recall effort tied to objections about critical race theory.
Reality check: Critical race theory — which holds that racism is baked into the formation of the nation and ingrained in our legal, financial and education systems — was developed in law schools in the 1970s and isn’t really taught in grade school.
Ban all Divisive RACE Indoctrination from our Nation !!!! Democrat LEFT is behind it all !!!
When Trump was POTUS (& still is ) No such talk ever arised !!!!
Critical Race Theory started in the ’70s, you brain dead boomer.
Fire all the Guilty school board members !!!!!
But yet MD has gotten used to the STENCH, SINCE its head is so far up the progressive luciferian marxist agenda.
Better move now before the tax sunsmi’s hit.
OR IF HOGAN HAD A PAIR … get a state voucher system in place DEFUND PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION NOW!!
This CRT reminds me of the “new math” push. Actually instead of push it was jammed down everyone’s throats.
How has that new math worked out?
Yeah – exactly
SMH!
I’ve heard teachers are being trained how to teach CRT in this county. Wake up parents!
Go ahead and shut all these teacher unions down. Need to bring back pledge of allegiance. Also all of those class room books. Teachers and parents need to go against these evil people.
CRT’s are now Obsolete !!! Now we use TFT’s !!! 4K baby !!!!