Trustee seeks details on critical race theory lessons
Watson calling for staff report to provide more information on what’s being taught in classrooms
Two trustees for the Waterloo Region District School Board want more transparency about what’s being taught in classrooms on critical race theory and white privilege.
“It comes down to the concerns for parents,” said Cindy Watson, who is calling for staff to share more information about anti-racist curriculum. “They were concerned that their children would just internalize this sense of shame or guilt and if there would be a stigma in the school atmosphere.”
Watson’s motion, introduced at this week’s board meeting and seconded by Mike Ramsay, called for a staff report and presentation that explains the working definition of critical race theory and white privilege as they relate to the development of anti-racist lesson plans, as well as the grade levels that they’re introduced.
Watson said she’s getting emails and calls from parents who wondered if their children were able to process or understand the concept of white privilege.
“Their children would come home and talk about some of the lessons. And from what I heard, parents were saying that they don’t want their children to be embarrassed or internalize shame and guilt because they’re white,” Watson said.
Watson also thinks parents should get supplementary materials that could help them understand what is being taught.
“That’s what the motion is about. It’s about providing information, providing transparency, helping parents understand,” she said.
The motion calls for the report to come back to the board no later than the end of September.
Watson also asked in the motion that staff provide recommendations “that will help support children if they internalize guilt and shame and solutions that will help prevent a possible stigma and or bias that could affect the school
climate,” and that parents get “supplemental material on the theory of ‘white privilege’ before their students are taught white privilege.”
Watson’s motion will be scheduled for discussion at a future meeting.
“The whole point of the motion is to bring parents’ concerns forward and help build understanding,” she said. “I hope that trustees can support it and we can have that conversation at the board table and make sure that there’s clarity and transparency. And the questions that parents have — that they can be answered.”