School Committees throughout Massachusetts are becoming aware of the emergence of Critical Race Theory
(CRT) as a matter of controversy. Public meetings have become a forum for critics of and advocates for the inclusion of race as an element of curriculum and instruction, but many educators, parents, and students have not had a thorough explanation of the issue. Some School Committee meetings have included public comments and
even demonstrations related to CRT, creating for some stakeholders and members of the public confusion about
what CRT is, what it isn’t, and how our pursuits of educational equity, diversity in public education, and inclusion of people, issues, and philosophies are impacted.
MASC has created a guide to help explain what Critical Race Theory is and is not, the differences between CRT and educational equity, and how school committee members can lead these important discussions.