{"id":35182,"date":"2022-09-08T06:00:11","date_gmt":"2022-09-08T11:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=35182"},"modified":"2022-09-07T15:25:52","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T20:25:52","slug":"faq-what-we-know-about-teaching-since-oklahomas-so-called-critical-race-theory-ban-went-into-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/09\/08\/faq-what-we-know-about-teaching-since-oklahomas-so-called-critical-race-theory-ban-went-into-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"FAQ: What we know about teaching since Oklahoma\u2019s so-called critical race theory ban went into effect"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is ample confusion around what can and can\u2019t be taught in an Oklahoma classroom and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chalkbeat.org\/2022\/8\/10\/23299007\/teachers-limit-classroom-conversations-racism-sexism-survey\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">across the country<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. There\u2019s also fear. That fear has been described by teachers statewide, and one in Norman has even <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kosu.org\/education\/2022-08-24\/norman-english-teacher-resigns-after-sharing-link-to-banned-book-resource-with-students\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">resigned<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> over the bill.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why StateImpact Oklahoma is putting together this FAQ guide about what teaching is like since the so-called critical race theory ban (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/oklegislature.gov\/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB1775\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HB 1775<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) was passed. Below we answer questions on the basic parts of the bill, as well as fact check some of the common misconceptions about the impact of the legislation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The answers are collected from reporting by StateImpact, other news organizations and answers to questions sent to attorneys familiar with laws surrounding education.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 20px; border-radius: 6px; overflow: hidden;\"><iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px;\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https:\/\/player.captivate.fm\/episode\/7cb273d5-14fe-4d43-bb12-c7f41a0293a8\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h3><b>What is HB 1775?<\/b><\/h3><p><a href=\"http:\/\/oklegislature.gov\/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB1775\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 1775<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was a measure approved by Gov. Kevin Stitt in May 2021. The controversial law essentially prohibits eight concepts in a variety of education-related spaces including curriculum and instructional materials; employee professional development; and diversity, equity and inclusion plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The eight banned concepts are ones that teach that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual, by virtue of their race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of their race or sex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect [based on] race or sex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual\u2019s moral character is determined by their race or sex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An individual, by virtue of their race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of their race or sex.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Oklahoma State School Boards Association has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ossba.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/HB-1775-Guidance.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">updated guidance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on what can or can\u2019t be taught under each provision. It\u2019s often called an anti-CRT bill, though this is a misnomer as the measure doesn\u2019t mention critical race theory.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What is critical race theory?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critical race theory is an academic concept that says race and racism are entwined throughout American society. The theory was originally applied to law schools, and legal scholar <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2021\/09\/20\/the-man-behind-critical-race-theory\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Derrick Bell<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is often credited with coining the term.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe made an argument about the enduring role that racism and racial discrimination has played in American institutional life, not just legal culture, but pervasive throughout American culture,\u201d Karlos Hill, chair of the Clara Luper Department of African and African-American Studies, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/02\/24\/how-oklahomas-classroom-curriculum-bans-affect-black-educators-and-families\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">told StateImpact<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> earlier this year.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But that definition seems lost in many local and national discussions on the topic. Instead, Hill said the debate is being leveraged by conservative lawmakers to energize their base and win elections.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis critical race boogeyman, this manufactured polarization is very effective in doing that, but it\u2019s going to have long-term disastrous consequences,\u201d Hill said.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Does HB 1775 ban critical race theory?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bill does not mention \u201ccritical race theory,\u201d so why is the term used so often when talking about it?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CRT as a term has been used by rightwing pundits to talk about concepts that are taught to children they consider dangerous. In the first half of 2021, for example, Fox News mentioned the term more than <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediamatters.org\/fox-news\/fox-news-obsession-critical-race-theory-numbers\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1,800 times on air<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s often paired with words like \u201cgrooming\u201d or \u201cindoctrination,\u201d even though that isn\u2019t grounded in reality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Is critical race theory being taught in Oklahoma schools?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not that we know.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kosu.org\/education\/2022-07-28\/we-need-to-keep-some-level-of-decorum-oklahoma-state-board-of-education-meeting-features-political-theatrics-little-policy-talk\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two school districts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been found in violation of HB 1775, there is no evidence that either were teaching critical race theory.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a statement responding to written questions from StateImpact, State Department of Education attorneys wrote there is no documented case of CRT being taught in a K-12 classroom in Oklahoma. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sde.ok.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/files\/Oklahoma%20Academic%20Standards%20for%20Social%20Studies%205.21.19.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State standards<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> make no reference to CRT.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What happens when HB 1775 has been violated?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In May 2022, Oklahoma\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sde.ok.gov\/state-board-education\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State Board of Education<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 almost entirely appointed by the governor \u2013 passed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sde.ok.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/files\/Proposed%20Final%20Rule.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">permanent rules<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to enact those provisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That put in place a process to punish schools and\/or teachers for violating the law related to their accreditation. The rules specifically say a school can be given an \u201caccreditation deficiency.\u201d That means the school will get a meeting with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sde.ok.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/Accreditation.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oklahoma State Department of Education accreditation office<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to fix the deficiency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a teacher found to \u201cwillfully violate\u201d the law, their teaching license could be revoked by the state board. That educator would have the right to a hearing before the board with legal counsel, should that occur.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But revocation almost never happens. And when it does, it\u2019s reserved for heinous criminal behavior.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, a handful of teachers had their licenses revoked following hearings in May.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">include teachers like former Stillwater social studies teacher <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kosu.org\/education\/2020-05-20\/stillwater-teacher-arrested-for-making-lewd-proposals-to-a-minor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alberto Morejon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. A former leader of the teacher walkout, Morejon, was sentenced to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/education-38f096e7f1409bc6bdaa2d329530921a\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">five years in prison<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for sexually lewd communication with a minor. Another is former Harrah High School baseball coach Charles Copeland, who is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklahoman.com\/story\/sports\/columns\/2019\/05\/24\/harrah-high-school-baseball-coach-arrested-accused-of-inappropriate-relationship-with-student\/60454199007\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accused<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of \u201can indecent and lewd act,\u201d with a student. A third is former Carnegie Public Schools special education teacher Andee Lantz, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news9.com\/story\/5fe4193cb010c70bbc5978f0\/oklahoma-teacher-accused-of-2nd-degree-rape-makes-court-appearance\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accused<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of raping a 16-year-old student.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>What does an \u201caccreditation warning\u201d even mean?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In July, Tulsa and Mustang Public Schools were the first districts to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kosu.org\/education\/2022-07-28\/we-need-to-keep-some-level-of-decorum-oklahoma-state-board-of-education-meeting-features-political-theatrics-little-policy-talk\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">face consequences<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for violating HB 1775.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Oklahoma State Department of Education had recommended the schools be given accreditation with a deficiency for their potential violations of the law.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A district receives an accreditation warning when it \u201cfails to meet one or more of the standards. Deficiency seriously detracts from the quality of the school and educational program,\u201d per the State Department of Education.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are four tiers of accreditation. From least to most serious, they are: accreditation with deficiency, accreditation with multiple deficiencies, accreditation with warning and accreditation probation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State Department of Education had recommended accreditation with one deficiency for the HB 1775 violation. However, the board decided to take it a step further by giving both districts accreditation with warning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe need to send a message,\u201d Board member Estela Hernandez <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/tulsaworld.com\/news\/local\/education\/watch-now-tulsa-public-schools-accredited-with-a-warning-over-hb1775-violation\/article_e2aa9fa2-0dd9-11ed-aca4-4bfac4fed0ef.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said at the meeting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But should schools even really worry about that message?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to an interview Gov. Kevin Stitt gave <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklahoman.com\/story\/news\/politics\/government\/2022\/08\/20\/oklahoma-gov-kevin-stitt-says-some-overreacting-about-teaching-on-race\/65411162007\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Oklahoman<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, probably not.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI support the school board. &#8230; You have to follow the law,\u201d Stitt told the newspaper. \u201cBut here\u2019s the deal, what did (the board) do? They just gave them a warning, a document that\u2019s on a file, (that says) don&#8217;t do it again. It&#8217;s not the end of the world for those school districts.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schools are concerned about it, though. An accreditation warning is just one step below accreditation probation and can eventually lead to losing state accreditation and therefore state funding. That\u2019s why Tulsa and Mustang have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kosu.org\/education\/2022-08-25\/oklahoma-education-board-declines-re-hearing-tulsa-and-mustang-accreditation-status\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pleaded<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to have a re-hearing about their violations.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>If I\u2019m an Oklahoma teacher, can I teach the book \u201cKillers of the Flower Moon\u201d by David Grann?<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A teacher from Dewey, Oklahoma <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklahoman.com\/story\/news\/education\/2022\/08\/10\/tulsa-mustang-race-gender-curriculum-violation-vote-oklahoma-teachers\/65393793007\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">made headlines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for her decision not to teach the book \u201cKillers of the Flower Moon\u201d in her high school English class.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;As soon as that passed, I realized I would be setting myself up for House Bill 1775 to take away my license,&#8221; teacher Debra Thoreson told The Oklahoman.<\/span><\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.davidgrann.com\/book\/killers-of-the-flower-moon\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The book<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is about a series of murders in the early 20th century of Osage Nation members who were killed by white people for their wealth.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A number of other news stories have talked about potentially banning books like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kfor.com\/news\/local\/lawsuit-alleges-book-banning-related-to-new-oklahoma-law\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To Kill a Mockingbird<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.readfrontier.org\/stories\/oklahomas-attorney-general-is-investigating-whether-51-books-violate-state-obscenity-law\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/02\/03\/amid-noisy-controversies-oklahoma-school-librarians-do-their-best-to-create-informed-citizens\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">others<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But when asked point blank about teaching \u201cKillers of the Flower Moon,\u201d attorneys for the State Department of Education wrote that educators are still allowed to teach the book under state law.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lessons need to avoid anything that say specific students should feel bad for past deeds by people who might be of the same race, wrote <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2021\/07\/08\/what-oklahoma-teachers-need-to-know-about-the-states-so-called-critical-race-theory-ban\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brandon Carey<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a staff attorney for OSSBA who previously worked as legal counsel for Oklahoma City Public Schools and the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Office of Civil Rights based in Dallas.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTeaching the book from a historical perspective would not violate the law,\u201d Carey wrote.<\/span><\/p><p><script async src=\"https:\/\/modules.wearehearken.com\/kosu\/embed\/9948.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is ample confusion around what can and can\u2019t be taught in an Oklahoma classroom and across the country. There\u2019s also fear. That fear has been described by teachers statewide, and one in Norman has even resigned over the bill.That\u2019s why StateImpact Oklahoma is putting together this FAQ guide about what teaching is like since [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":34162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17,16],"tags":[1358,855,731],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35182"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/209"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35182"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35186,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35182\/revisions\/35186"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}