The larger target of anti-critical race theory bills may be public education itself

A school board meeting.
(Image credit: Illustrated | REUTERS, iStock)

Conservatives have long disdained America's public education system. They routinely grumble about "government schools" and often spend their policy energy trying to shepherd students to alternatives like charter schools and homeschooling, or to private schools using vouchers. So you have to wonder if, on some level, the recent Republican outcry over critical race theory is a Trojan horse to take down public schools.

Evidence for this idea comes from Tennessee, which is currently implementing a new anti-CRT law in its public schools. As The Washington Post reports, the law doesn't just ban the teaching of concepts like "the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist" — it imposes draconian punishments on schools that allow such teachings to take place. Offending schools could lose up to $5 million from their budgets, or as much as 10 percent of their annual state aid for repeated violations. (As the Post points out, even a $1 million budget cut for a first-time offense would be equivalent to funding for 100 students.) Teachers could also be disciplined or lose their licenses for violations of the law.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.