This week, the Albuquerque Journal reported on the updated social studies standards by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s New Mexico Public Education Department that include the racist Critical Race Theory language aimed at dividing children by their race, gender, economic situation, and more.
These new standards include Critical Race Theory principles of “unequal power relations,” “privilege or systemic inequity,” and mandates that students identify their “group identity” beginning in kindergarten.
“Whether they fit all the definitions of ‘critical race theory’ or not, the new standards appear designed to divide New Mexicans by race, ethnicity and economic status,” Rio Grande Foundation president Paul Gessing told the Journal.
According to recent scores, New Mexico ranks last in public school education and nearly 1 in 4 students never graduate high school.
Republican Governors Association regional press secretary Will Reinert said, “‘Privilege, power and inequity language’ will be sure to divide students instead of uniting kids to build a stronger New Mexico together.”
“Distracted from countless scandals and constant education secretary turnover, Michelle Lujan Grisham is not capable of turning around the state’s public school education system,” Reinert said. “Instead, Governor Lujan Grisham forces teachers to focus on teaching a divisive curriculum instead of skills that will lead to better opportunities for New Mexico’s children.”
The news of the Critical Race Theory standards is not new, as the Legislature previously passed the “Black Education Act” in the form of 2021’s H.B. 43, a bill sponsored by disgraced ex-Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D-Bernalillo), who served as the Democrats’ House majority leader. She is currently being charged on multiple federal counts after she appears to have stolen millions of dollars from the Albuquerque Public Schools through her role as a legislator and an administrator.
H.B. 43 included adding CRT to the New Mexico public schools, indoctrinating children with language such as “…creating and sustaining equitable and culturally responsive learning environments.” It requires all school personnel to “successfully complete an online or in-person antiracism, racial awareness and sensitivity training or professional development approved by the department that addresses race, racism and racialized aggression and demonstrates how to create and foster an equitable and culturally responsive learning environment for racial minority students.”
Furthermore, H.B. 43 also mandated, “All school discipline policies shall define and include a specific prohibition against racialized aggression involving a student or school personnel.” Now, CRT is seeping through the public school system, leaving districts with not many options.
i am so glad i don’t have kids or grandkids in NM schools. this is so wrong on so many levels
I’m so glad she wants to buy our votes by giving us a couple of a hundred bucks apiece for some reason or another. If she can purchase enough to make an election win look legitimate, she can do more wonderful anti-American stuff like this, and start more lockdowns and mandates right after the election is over.
Intentionally misinforming children is child abuse, we can add that to MLG’s list of crimes.
This privileged white cracker bimbo needs to go !! The democrat party in this state is the same racist organization nation wide.
New Mexico parents need to fight back or pull their kids out of Public school. The best way to stop this is to bleed the schools dry. The Republicans can talk all they want. What are they are doing to help stop this. Parents can’t do it alone. New Mexicans need to vote MLG out of office, but they are stupid and they will keep her in. They don’t care for their children. NO MLG!
I do not agree with this and will be protesting. MLG is a egotistical, criminal with no regard for anything but filling own pockets.
This new mandate causes segregation and is unethical and the schools have no right to force this upon our children. I will definitely be fighting this and fighting for my children
With New Mexico now excelling in Education – claiming the TOP BOTTOM spot, as 50th in the nation, why are we teaching segregation? PROGRESS always takes time, and the struggle and acceptance of equal rights (for minorities AND women), albeit slow, was making good progress – NOW the only promise is to go backwards in time and put forth an agenda of segregation causing a wide division of WE THE PEOPLE of the United States of America. Without adult prejudice, put preschoolers together on a playground, and have adults watch the interaction. SHAME ON TEACHING DIVISIONS, instead of UNITY. We all know this one thing to be true… UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL.
I urge us New Mexicans to step back and demand that first and foremost our students, first learn how to Read, Write (and comprehend), and do Mathematics, followed by Science and history (all inclusion expanded history – good and BAD – facts not fiction). Starting early, children are like little learning sponges, so they are very capable of absorbing a good foundation of the learning basics mentioned above. If those who RULE what the curriculum will be in our New Mexico school system, why not ADD to rounding out, with an offering of music (https://ruthcatchen.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/how-to-use-music-to-improve-math-skills/) and art back into studies. We OWE it to OUR CHILDREN to give them the skills in life to succeed and EXCEL, AND without the basics, we are setting our children up for failure.
Excellent comments.