Critical Race Theory In Virginia: Will The Ban Be Effective? Or Not?
According to his website, a huge part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s campaign was focusing on controversies in education surrounding critical race theory. Now that Republicans hold the House and the Governor’s Mansion, they are working hard to ensure those promises are kept. According to WTOP, the Virginia House of Delegates recently voted 50-49 to pass HB787, a ban on teaching “divisive topics” in classrooms. The bill introduced by delegate LaRock, defines the term “divisive topics” as teaching that one race or gender is inherently superior to another, that either Virginia or the United States is inherently racist, or that the color of someone’s skin makes them either racist or “responsible” for tragedies that have happened in the past. The bill is an accompaniment to an executive order by Gov. Youngkin banning the teaching of critical race theory.
On his first day in office, Youngkin issued a slew of executive orders, beginning with the first one revolving around CRT and “restoring excellence in education.”
The Washington Post says executive orders carry no actual political weight outside of instructions for executive agencies and symbolic policy recommendations. The order holds political weight, because it directs the superintendent to review and “review and end all inherently divisive concepts within the department of education.”
Now that Republicans hold the House, they are working to turn the promises into policy. The elephant in the room, however, is whether or not keeping those promises will prove effective at all.
One hurdle facing the bill is the state Senate, which is currently under democratic control. The Senate voted down a similar bill earlier in the year. It is believed that this bill will face a similar fate.
Aside from the Senate, another hurdle facing the bill is how effective it would actually be in combating CRT, as it does not lay out a clear punishment. According to WUSA9, another bill, proposed by delegate Wren Williams, would have placed up to a $250 fine and possible revocation of a teaching license for violating the statute. This bill remains in committee.
While nearly identical in substance, the clear lack of a punishment in LaRock’s bill shows a glaring problem. The Virginia GOP ran on a platform of getting CRT out of schools. Now that they have power, what are they going to do?
Some would question whether Republicans should exercise power when they are the ruling party, after all, isn’t a central tenet of conservatism having a small government? In order to have that small government, it is necessary to roll back where the left has increased the size and scope of government. In every instance where this could be enacted, be it healthcare, welfare, or deficit spending, In the past Republicans have failed when in power.
In the end, while state or even federal government action is sometimes necessary to affect change, change can be achieved on the local level through the actions of the ordinary private citizen. Throughout the election cycle, school board meetings were flooded with angry parents who demanded answers as to what their children were being taught and why. One of the largest factors in Youngkin’s victory was his opponent, Terry McAulliffe, boldly stating “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”
With that comment, McAulliffe broke an age old rule: do not get between a mama bear and her cubs. Arguably, the most powerful force in the world is an angry mother, and when you tell a mother she should have no right in her child’s education, you have made a very big mistake. Parents should always have the ultimate say in what their children are being taught.
Without a clear punishment, the new CRT bill may not prove to be as effective as it could have been. It will, however, benefit from the fervor of parents who have seen what is being taught and are demanding change. As long as parents continue applying pressure at the local level, through school board meetings and elections, there is no doubt that radical ideologies like critical race theory will be stamped out of the public schools in Virginia.
Hughes is an opinion writer. Follow him on Twitter