Critical Race Theory

Isn’t CRT Banned in Oklahoma?

Guest Post By Dayna Mooney – Chapter Chair, Moms For Liberty (Canadian County, OK)

Like many Parents, we have discovered things being taught to our children with which we disagree.

Some members have even taken it further and begun researching the curricula being used, looking into Teachers that are in our schools, books in our School Library or even considered running for a School Board seat themselves.

For me, it was the COVID lockdowns that lead me to see what my children were being taught and what they weren’t being taught, a discovery that eventually lead me to start a Chapter in Canadian County for Moms for Liberty. Moms for Liberty works to empower Parents to advocate for their children and take back their Parental Rights.

During each of our Chapter meetings, we review School Board Agendas for School Districts that are represented within our Chapter.

During the October 27th Chapter meeting of last year (2022) we discussed Out of State Approvals for Yukon Public Schools, in particular an approval for the District Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator to attend the National Council for Social Studies Conference in Philadelphia, PA, December 1-4, 2022. Curious, we researched further.

It turns out, this conference is one of the largest gathering of K-12 social studies classroom teachers in the US. While we have no idea which of the 500+ sessions this teacher chose to attend, these were the 6 Sub Themes covered in this Conference:

Connecting Educators as Learners
Teaching Civil Discourse
Embracing Hard History
Building Critical Media Literacy
Fostering Global Citizens
Navigating the Political Landscape in Teaching Social Studies

These were some of the Workshops/Sessions available at this Conference:

Teaching History for Justice
Critical Race Theory and Social Studies Futures
Be(com)ing Stranger: Towards a Posthuman Social Studies
Proceeding with Caution and Care: Examining Classroom Simulations Through the Lens of Educational Equity
- Participants will investigate classroom simulations, focusing on the challenges and dangers that surround their use. Presenters will provide administrators and supervisors strategies for identifying harmful simulations and how to coach teachers away from using them and move toward more culturally responsive, culturally sensitive, and more equitable and inclusive classroom activities
Embracing Student Activism
- How a Pride Flag led to lobbying in Congress: learn how a school district located on indigenous territory embraced student activism and the opportunities it created
Mind the Gap: Tackling Conspiracy Theories in the Classroom
- Combatting the prevalence of misinformation available to students is a challenge in classrooms today. Discover strategies for debunking common 9/11 conspiracy theories that translate across a variety of content and subjects.
Exploring Primary Sources in Ethnic Studies: Using the Library of Congress to Create School District Professional Development
- Learn how Houston ISD leveraged their Teaching with Primary Sources grant award to expand teacher access to ethnic studies knowledge, teaching resources, and curriculum
Teaching Critical Race Theory with Primary Source Documents
- Learn how two educators used primary sources to support the curriculum of a dedicated Critical Race Theory class at the college level. Connections to the K-12 classroom will be shared
How to Teach the Truth and Not End Up in the Principal’s Office
- The Library of Congress and the TPS Teachers Network have resources and professional support to aid educators in their quest to teach accurate history in an era of divisive topics laws.
Diversity and Inclusion Pedagogy for Teaching Global Learning and Leadership
- Explore project-based instructional techniques and best practices that empower and immerse students more deeply in the Global Citizenship learning experience by utilizing diverse and inclusive student-led engagement activities
The 1619 Project, Critical Race Theory, Divisive Concepts Legislation: Empowering Teachers and Communities to Confront the Politicization of Social Studies
- Unravel the politicization of the 1619 Project, Critical Race Theory, and divisive concepts legislation with other educators who seek to confront racialized rhetoric with truth
Fostering Community, Understanding, and Growth Through Civil Dialogue
- Explore meaningful methods for creating, building, and fostering civil dialogue techniques with your students to increase content understanding, promote social-emotional learning, and maintain community among your students.
The Color of Law: Exploring Systemic Racism in Housing Policy Using PBL
- Using the project-based learning model, U.S. History/Government teachers can position students to raise awareness of systemic racism in housing policy using Richard Rothstein’s 2017 book The Color of Law.
Truth and Reconciliation: Sexual Slavery During World War II
- Inquiry about sexual slavery during World War II with embedded best Social Emotional Learning practices by examining transgressions of the past and truth and reconciliation
Don’t End up on the News! A Trauma-Informed Approach to Teaching Hard History
- Don’t let the headlines scare you! New teachers, let’s talk about ways to approach hard history using trauma-informed best practices
Teaching Untold Stories to Inspire Children as Changemakers
- Challenge the dominant discourse of the civil rights movement in elementary social studies and, instead, embrace teaching unsung heroes in an effort to create social justice advocates in our students
Combating Misinformation with Culturally Responsive Teaching
- Explore innovative approaches for designing and implementing culturally responsive instruction. With a firm understanding of these techniques and principles, attendees will reap the benefits of these lessons
Reimagining Civic Action: Human Rights Close to Home
- Hear youth scholars and educators share how Human Rights Education can serve as a blueprint for experiential learning that promotes student civic engagement and activism

As you can see, there was a theme to what was being discussed at this Conference. Any teachers in attendance will then bring what they’ve learned back to the District and share it with their fellow teachers, maybe even during a Professional Development, or other training day.

As you can see with the picture below Critical Race Theory, Cultural Relevant Pedagogy, Multicultural Education and Civil Rights Movement are all one in the same. Many use buzz words to get around Critical Race Theory laws within the State in order to continue teaching it in our Schools.

Another commonly known buzz word that we hear now is Social Emotional Learning or SEL, MANY Schools, if not all are using some type of SEL Program within our Schools. All of these are vehicles for Critical Race Theory, no matter what you call them and are designed to infringe on a Parent’s Right to educate their children in the worldview of their family. These programs promote feelings and behaviors that are not usually reflective of our teachings as the parent.

In December of 2020, CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) updated their definition for SEL to showcase the value of SEL as a weapon for social justice. These SEL programs gather non-cognitive data using attributes, feelings, grit, mindsets and more that’s been gathered through various programs and different terminology. None of which can be fairly assessed with a computer.

Do you remember Common Core that’s also against the law to teach in Oklahoma? SEL, CRT are just the newest versions of Common Core, just a different name, pretty bow on the surface that ultimately pushes the same message that focuses less on academics and more on mindsets, feelings and behaviors. SEL claims to improve test scores, but as we are seeing by the latest release, it’s done the opposite. Just one of many claims, that have all proven to do the opposite.

All of these programs, no matter what you call them, get in the way of good, efficient teaching. Teachers are being asked to take on the role therapists, which they aren’t trained for, nor do they want to be therapists in most cases. Running off good teachers, to make way for the activist teachers to be the student’s parent, tell them how to think and how to hate their Country!

As Parents, we have to stand up against this agenda and do our part to get our Education System back on track! Even if your children are grown, you have a place in this fight as well! The more the merrier!

These are some results of SEL Teachings. You may already be seeing them in your School;

Larger Class Sizes
More about Diversity
Changes to what was once a Zero Tolerance Policy
Grading Policy Changes on some or all Levels
School(s) are becoming overpopulated

Follow the link below to see a graphic to connect CRT to SEL and more

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19j0O_0aAdQPjbazAA842ncsGfTAGxvz2/view?usp=sharing

For more information on Moms for Liberty feel free to visit www.momsforliberty.org or email me, Dayna Mooney at moms4liberty_canadiancounty@protonmail.com.

For more information on SEL, see Six Reasons Why The Oklahoma State Legislature Should Ban The Use of SEL – Social Emotional Learning Through SB1442

Senator Jett has filed SB1027 (2023) to stop the teaching of SEL.

January 30, 2023 1

SB1447 STOPS MANDATORY SCHOOL BOARD TRAINING and SB1445 REDUCES ALL SCHOOL BOARD TERMS TO TWO YEARS

Over the last several years, it has become abundantly clear that many K12 public school boards do not have the best interest of parents at heart. For the last several years, parents across the country have expressed frustration over issues such as mask policies, Critical Race Theory and inappropriate reading material, only to have their microphones turned off, be completely ignored by Board members, or forced out of meetings by police.

At the end of last September, the contentious issue of parents and school boards came to a head when the National School Boards Association (NSBA) penned a letter to the Biden administration asking them to review whether angry parent outbursts can be acted upon as violations of the Patriot Act – indicating their wish to have dissenting parents treated as terrorists.

By October 4^th, Attorney General Merrick Garland was directing the FBI to meet with federal and local law enforcement and state AGs toward the end of “addressing” school board outbursts and “threats”.

Public outcry over the letter quickly resulted in school board associations across the US canceling their memberships in NASBA, sending NASBA reeling to a corner from which they issued a public apology.

The Oklahoma State School Boards Association (OSSBA) did neither. Though a group of Oklahoma law makers sent a letter to OSSBA President Shawn Hime asking him to withdraw from NASBA over the letter, Hime refused to answer and – as past president of NASBA – continued OSSBA’s association with NASBA anyway.

The news only gets worse. Thanks to an FOI request submitted by grassroots parents group, Parents Defending Education, it became clear that Biden Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, actually ASKED NASBA to write the letter to the Biden administration and later, Cardona added the head of NASBA to the board which governs the National Association of Educational Progress (The Nation’s Report Card) ostensibly as a “thank you” for his service.

Why would the OSSBA ignore the request of state legislators to withdraw from NASBA – especially after the controversy continued?

Because the OSSBA is not for parents, they are for the education bureaucracy.

In fact, the OSSBA is no stranger to controversy. The OSSBA fought every effort to stop Common Core, frequently siding with the Superintendents union (CCOSA) and the OEA among others. They have been for every teacher pay raise offered – especially the enormous Step Up plan in 2018.

The OSSBA is a non-profit corporation which, though it has partners, receives millions of dollars a year from public schools for dues, training and other services, making it an organization paid ostensibly with tax dollars.

Though HB1775 was passed last year to stop the teaching of CRT tenets in public schools, the OSSBA seems very preoccupied with race. There’s a section of their blog entitled, “Voices” which has several essays on race and a post outlining “The Problem With HB1775”.

Then there are some very problematic trainings based on race and equity:

Then there is their affiliation with the NASBA Equity Symposium:

Then, there’s all the lobbying they do. Last year they wanted to stop school board elections from being held in November:

According to Title 70 5-110, school board members are to receive 15 hours of training over a five year term.

Elected legislators are not required to receive training prior to taking their seat – nor are they to take continuing education courses.

City Council members and Mayors are required to take a one day course given by the Oklahoma Municipal League (OML).

Why should school board members be forced to receive so much more training than any other elected official?
Why is the OSSBA listed in law as a training provider? Isn’t that protectionism?
Why would the law say that ELECTED school board members can be removed if they do not take training? How can an official elected by the PEOPLE be removed by the government for not taking mandatory subjective training?

School Board members should NOT be forced to take statutory training, nor should they be able to be ‘fired’ if they refuse mandatory training, nor should a non-profit PRIVATE organization be listed in law as a training provider.

SB1447 by Shane Jett repeals statutory training and, instead provide optional training for school board members at their local vo-tech, where the money would stay in their town instead of going to a non-profit organization that doesn’t need more state money. It also removes the OSSBA as a training provider and repeals the section that allows school board members to be fired for not attending training.

SB1445 reduces school board terms to two years.

Title 70 5-107a describes the length of school board terms. Elementary District members serve 3 year terms. Independent districts with five-member boards serve 5 and 7-member boards serve 4.

Most district terms are 4 years. If a school board member begins their term fighting parents at every turn, like a school board member from Deer Creek Schools, Lorrie Bamford, no change can be made to the seat for FOUR YEARS, leaving parents with little ability to have a voice in their child’s school throughout their entire high school career!

State Representatives are elected EVERY TWO YEARS. Why should a school board member have a term longer than a State Representative?

A two-year term could make it easier for busy community members to serve at least one term on their local school board, increasing the pool of possible candidates – plus, prevent authoritarian Board Members from becoming entrenched in their position and hard to remove in favor of more parent friendly candidates.

Please support these two bills by asking your Senator and Representative to sign on as Co-Authors! OSSBA will do everything it can to make sure neither of these bills pass the legislature and we’ll need YOU to see that they do!

February 2, 2022 1

GUEST POST: Dear Dr. Grunewald, Conscious Discipline = SEL and SEL = CRT, So Don’t Tell Us EPS Is NOT Teaching CRT

This article was written by Emily Wright, an Edmond Public Schools parent.

Conscious Discipline – Social and Emotional Learning
“Conscious Discipline believes that trauma-responsive social and emotional learning (SEL) is a lens through which transformational change in the areas of racial equality, equity and inclusion is not only possible, but essential.”

Conscious Discipline is the elementary Social Emotional Learning Curriculum, used in Edmond Public schools. Click on the name and try not to vomit as you explore the site. Let not your heart be troubled and drop those Tums!

Edmond Public School superintendent, Dr. Angela Grunewald, insisted once again that EPS does not teach Critical Race Theory during a 25 minute phone conversation with me on November 12.

Why did I get a phone call?: I sent her an email you can read here, in response to her rebuttal of the speaker comments made at the November 1 school board meeting.

Dr. Grunewald’s response to the Social Justice/CRT platitudes galore littering the Conscious Discipline (CD) site was that in the wake of the 2020 death of George Floyd, many companies put out these kind of messages on their websites.

I then asked her what CD edition EPS is using and are teachers/counselors just omitting any subject matter deemed to violate HB1775. She gave the same response: EPS does not teach CRT. She then invited me to come look at the curriculum, and/or sit in on a lesson and attend a parent meeting regarding CD. (I will be attending a parent meeting in January)

Dr. Grunewald then REPEATED that EPS is not teaching CRT.

Read the letter below written by Conscious Discipline creator, Dr. Becky Bailey, that I’ve included in its entirety. You will see that CRT is embedded in Conscious Discipline’s curricula and teacher/counselor training and come to the conclusion that our tax payer dollars are funding the brainwashing of our children!

Posted on July 29,2020 by creator Dr. Becky Bailey:

Recently we shared a public statement about racism, injustice and inequity and outlined our organizational commitment. This follow-up message is the first of many public updates we will provide as we strive to be both transparent and accountable in this critical area.
I firmly believe systemic racism must be dismantled, and I will be part of the solution both personally and professionally. As the voices of the Black Lives Matter movement call for increased equity and social justice, Conscious Discipline will answer with unequivocal support and actionable change.
Conscious Discipline’s methodology is based on and steeped in inclusion. Inclusion and unity are inseparable from our philosophy. Having said that, we are acutely aware that our company profile— particularly that of the independent contractors who make up our Certified and Master Instructor program— does not sufficiently represent the diverse cultures of many of the schools we support. Although our methodology is inherently culturally sustaining and inclusive, we believe increasing our team’s diversity will strengthen our resource offerings, our organization and ourselves, and is essential in supporting racial justice. With the urgency and importance of current events laying many of these issues raw, I feel it is important to convey some of the efforts we’ve taken over the past few years and our current commitments toward lasting change.
CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS (INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS)
Conscious Discipline Certified Instructors and Master Instructors are independent contractors who are licensed to teach Conscious Discipline. The first 15 years of our Instructor Certification program relied on candidates seeking us out in order to become consultants. This yielded some phenomenal Instructors, but also resulted in many who came from similar life experiences— most were white, female, 35+ years old, suburban and middle class. Our pool of Instructors did not reflect the rich diversity of our nation.
In 2015, we paused in accepting applications for Certified Instructors in order to undertake a dramatic reorganization. In 2017, we launched additional organizational shifts to increase equity, address the lack of diversity, and provide additional training and coaching in our onboarding process. Most significantly, we reorganized into “family” units to provide better mentorship, and we changed from an application model to a recruitment model in order to focus on engaging people of color, especially Black Americans. This intentional shift helps us to actively identify, support, remove obstacles and fast-track promising candidates who are more diverse. It also helps us to better support our growing Instructor family. This worthwhile shift has required a significant investment of time and financial resources. Even with these focused efforts, this is a long-term endeavor as many of our Instructors implement Conscious Discipline for 5+ years before becoming Certified.
We will continue to build diversity and equity in our Certified Instructor program in the following ways:
We will evaluate our Instructor Certification process to accelerate the multi-year requirements around the study, implementation and coaching needed for Certification in order to meet an initial goal of a minimum of 30% people of color, with an emphasis on Black Americans.
We will provide diversity training to all Instructors via our family structure in order to encourage individual growth and assist Instructors in creating events that are culturally informed, inclusive and equitable.
We will enlist a racial equity consultant and a committee from within our organization to work together to formulate the steps for these processes and assist in implementation. Establishing the committee, the specific steps and a timeline are all in-process, and we will periodically post progress updates.
ADVANCED INSTITUTE
The Conscious Discipline Advanced Institute (CD2) is an intense training limited to only 48 attendees and an essential step needed for Certification. In 2017, we shifted CD2 from open registration to an invitation-based event. We reserved 50% of CD2 invitations for people of color, with a definite focus on recruiting Black attendees. We then gifted scholarships to those for whom finances were a barrier. These endeavors have not yet yielded the diversity we seek, so we are examining additional ways to recruit more effectively. We will continue this initiative indefinitely as a specific, actionable step toward increasing equity within the Conscious Discipline community and within the educational system at large.
TRAINING
Over the past decade, I have intentionally sought out research and amended trainings to include information about intergenerational, cultural and generational trauma specifically as it relates to Black Americans and Native Americans. I will continue this internal educational process for myself and our Instructors in efforts to address cultural responsiveness, microaggression, unconscious/implicit bias and the general historical perspective that is neglected in our educational system at large. We will also continue to increase the prevalence of Black and brown teachers, administrators and mental health professionals featured in videos and images during our trainings.
Additionally in our trainings, we will be more intentional and direct about sharing the way Conscious Discipline is designed to function in relation to one’s personal experiences. Conscious Discipline utilizes skills, powers and structures, but no prescriptive curriculum. Our approach supports mindset shifts, a compassionate cultural climate (the School Family), and skills of interaction that promote resilience and healthy relationships for all stakeholders (children, adults, schools, communities, etc.). We ask adults to digest and internalize Conscious Discipline into their mental models of their world, culture, jobs, relationships and children in their care— especially regarding misbehavior. We ask each adult to utilize what they deem helpful and set aside anything that doesn’t resonate, essentially making each person’s experience with Conscious Discipline uniquely their own. One outcome of this personalization is the ability for Conscious Discipline to be culturally sustaining, accessible and applicable to all communities, including communities of color. In efforts to further ensure access to training and resources, Conscious Discipline has invested $1.5 million dollars into under-resourced areas to support their goals with Conscious Discipline in the past three years.
STAFFING
Since 2018, we have engaged a reputable external partner to guide our hiring processes. Our directive is to elevate the best possible candidates for each position, with a priority on increasing diversity in our offices. We currently have two leadership positions and one staff position open. Our goal is to fill these positions once we recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. Promoting diversity will be a lead factor in filling these and future positions.
OFFICE EDUCATION
Moving forward, Conscious Discipline will provide ongoing education and growth opportunities for our office leadership and staff in the areas of unconscious bias and racial equity. We will engage independent experts to help assess and train employees in regard to our antiracism goals, beginning with our most critical leadership and public-facing job positions. This effort will start immediately using Insperity HR Services, and will expand as we identify additional partners.
SOCIAL MEDIA
In early June, we began to prioritize using social media to share antiracist and race education content from respected thought leaders, including Ibram X Kendi’s Raising Antiracist Kids event, CASEL’s SEL as a Lever for Equity series and the APA’s Uplifting Youth Through Healthy Communication About Raceresources. We will continue to share antiracist content as an ongoing component of our messaging on all of our social media platforms. Our intent is to amplify leading voices and resource providers that encourage safe, productive conversations about racial equality, and to present educators, students, families and communities with opportunities for growth.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Like the world we live in, I am in a perpetual state of change and growth. Mistakes and missteps are essential to this process, and I have made many in my lifetime. A foundational concept in Conscious Discipline is to expand the pause between stimulus and reaction to create room for a conscious response. I am a teacher of this process, yet I am still learning this process. I believe the path to systemic and systematic change begins within each individual, and I am leading the way the best I know how— through continuous devotion to learning and improvement.
Over the past two years, these books and online courses have deepened my understanding of race issues and social justice, and helped to uncover my own unconscious bias:How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, Ph.D., Cultural Somatics online course by Resmaa Menakem, Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America by Stacey Patton, Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond.
I am currently reading My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem and it is profound. I will continue to seek out powerful resources to shape my personal growth as well as the content and organizational policies of Conscious Discipline.
PRODUCT CONTENT
Conscious Discipline has consistently sought to prioritize cultural sensitivity and accessibility in our products and materials, including inviting input and making related improvements. For example:
We have historically instructed our directors and managers to ensure cultural diversity in the content and images featured in our products and support materials. This will continue in a more strategic way, including increased staff training and enlisting guidance from independent experts.
In 2019, an outside firm reviewed the Conscious Discipline e-Course to reveal implicit bias in the content. My team corrected the content that could be changed, and I used the insights as an opportunity for improvement and growth.
We have made multiple adjustments to the fabric of the Feeling Buddies in order to address color variances in certain manufacturing runs. (The desired form for the Buddies is a unisex, racially ambiguous “gingerbread” appearance.)
Moving forward, we will more closely review all new products through the lens of diversity, cultural sensitivity and inclusiveness. Our internal diversity committee and independent experts will work together to develop a Diversity Assessment Framework that will help guide new product development, training, and the marketing of our products and resources.
IN CLOSING
These are initial steps that lay the foundation for much larger shifts to come. I am eager to actively seek ways to create equity and dismantle systemic racism through awareness, compassion, connection and action— starting within myself and Conscious Discipline, and extending outward to those we serve.
Our next step toward these commitments is to develop a specific and measurable plan that will include key milestones, metrics and timelines, and will grow as our knowledge expands. As new opportunities and concerns surface, we will responsively adjust this plan. We will strive for transparency by periodically sharing updates, benchmarks and celebrations on our website and through social media.
We will be listening throughout this process, and are eager to hear from you about addressing racism, our progress or related matters.
Please email drbeckybailey@consciousdiscipline.com with your input.
As Maya Angelou famously said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” I am committed to learning more and doing better. My personal commitment to act in support of equity and social justice begins with myself and extends to my office staff, our Instructors and the Conscious Discipline family. We are all in this together, and we will continue the lifelong process of uncovering our false beliefs and unconscious biases; acquiring new skills; ensuring our policies and actions reflect our core principles of love, unity and equity; and actively living these values embedded in Conscious Discipline.
Thank you for your willingness to join us on this journey.
Wishing you well,
Dr. Becky A BaileyFounder & Chief Knowledge Officer,
Conscious Discipline

Curriculum is designed to teach set objectives. SEL is the latest fad in education and hundreds of curriculum companies have sprung up to cash in on the federal government’s and academia’s push of this garbage.

Curriculum is approved by local school boards of education and must align with the state’s department of education standards that must align with federal standards to access any federal and/or state funds/grants. Therefore state, federal and local education entities are working in tandem to turn kids into social justice/CRT warriors meanwhile SEL/CRT curriculum companies are getting rich off our tax dollars. Federal, state and local governments are complicit in this money laundering, socially indoctrinating scheme.

Progressive SEL foundations/organizations provide funding via grants or awards too. In fact, an Edmond elementary counselor, Janessa Bointy, received the National University System-Sanford Teacher Award for Oklahoma in 2020. She was awarded $10,000 for indoctrinating school children by “demonstrating high levels of inspirational teaching practices by engaging students, building student confidence, motivating students to succeed, giving students a voice and creating an inclusive environment.” “She has been a pioneer in using the Sanford Harmony social and emotional learning program to promote strong peer relations, self-regulation, tolerance, and understanding among students.”

During my conversation with Dr. Grunewald I brought up this counselor and her use of the Sanford Harmony Curriculum and she knew nothing about its use in our district or about this honor that was bestowed upon Ms. Bointy. In my letter to Dr. Grunewald I provided this link: Sunset Counselor Wins Award and $10,000 Prize – Edmond Public Schools (edmondschools.net) I also provided CRT-laced evidence from the Harmony website. Obviously, she failed to read my letter completely, as well as answer all my questions in concerns in a professional, truthful manner. If you or Dr. Grunewald would like to know more about the Sanford Harmony program here is a link from Ms. Bointy’s above mentioned blurb:

Sanford Harmony is a PreK-6 research-based social-emotional learning program that cultivates strong classroom relationships between all students. Sanford Harmony has been recognized by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as a quality program. http://sanfordprograms.org/

Back to the phone call.

I bemoaned the fact that my tax payer dollars are being used to ultimately rewire my kid’s thoughts, values and beliefs. I also expressed my opinion that more SEL does not address Covid learning loss and more instruction of core subjects is the solution.

Upon expressing my disdain for EPS’s molding and shaping my child’s identity Dr. Grunewald said since my kids come from stable home with involved parents, they will be able to cope and think for themselves, but SEL is necessary because there are students that come from unstable homes and everybody benefits; some more than others based on individual needs. She said mental health is a district priority now more than ever in light of the Covid pandemic and SEL is great tool to address it. We also discussed the definition of SEL and the link she provided in her response from the OK State Department of Education to explain further why SEL is taught.

CASEL is the author of the definition and framework of SEL that school districts across the country use. I am guessing that CASEL provided this document to the state department and OK State Department just inserted their tag on it. CASEL is a clearing house for all these SEL curriculum companies.

The information provided under the heading Teacher and Parents and subtitle SEL Resources for Parents, Educators and School Communities Related to Covid-19 will lead you to another vomit-inducing link.

Under the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion subheading you’ll find, “Speaking Up Against Racism Around The Coronavirus – The coronavirus became racialized, so it’s critical that educators understand the historical context and confront racist tropes and xenophobia from students and colleagues”, from an organization called, “Learning For Justice”, which is a project of the “Southern Poverty Law Center“.

I also was able to find, COVID19 Resources From America’s Promise Alliance Partner Organizations a Google Document containing this link Talking About COVID-19: A Call for Racial, Economic, and Health Equity | The Opportunity Agenda.

From the Opportunity Agenda:

“We also need to step up our allyship with communities of color. As Race Forward stated: “Implicit and explicit racism has often historically driven government responses to urgent health situations…The Trump administration has used this crisis to stem travel from unaffected regions, including halting asylum seekers at the Southern border. Hate-filled and racist rhetoric has stigmatized people of color as “infected,” threats to public safety, and burdens to the health care system.”
“Being an ally for communities of color starts in our language and messaging. We must avoid slipping into the mindset of “othering” when talking about this pandemic or any other public health crisis.
America is currently grappling with its long legacy of racism and othering. This comes through in our messaging around COVID by allowing implicit and explicit bias to influence our thinking and language, whether it be the example of blaming specific races for the virus and its spread or referring to the virus using derogatory terms.
Instead, we should work together to actively dispel xenophobic myths and racist misinformation – and hold our elected officials and the media to doing the same. Addressing implicit bias and racism is not always easy, but it is imperative, which is why The Opportunity Agenda developed a messaging tool to help advance these conversations.”

Oklahoma has a law banning this type of curriculum/instruction, yet the OK State Department of Education has a resource sheet with clearly unvetted links to CRT political action organizations and CRT disguised as SEL curriculum resources?

Dr. Grunwald’s response to this was: “Well you know when you start clinking on links you could end up on a porn site.”

Parents, educators, patriots please understand that SEL is a conduit of CRT. IT IS A 12 YEAR PROGRAM THAT SOCAILLY ENGINEERS YOUR CHILD by transforming your child’s core values, attitudes and beliefs. SEL lessons focus on diversity, equity and inclusion to promote “kindness” and create a “safe” learning environment for all. These lessons already occur naturally in our homes, families, communities and classrooms. It is not the school’s job to focus on feelings. Their job is to impart objective truth.

YES, Dr. Grunewald CRT is being taught in our schools!

December 5, 2021 2

GUEST POST: Dear Dr. Grunewald, If You Think You’re Not Allowing The Teaching of CRT, What Do You Call Social Emotional Learning (SEL)?

This is a guest post by an Edmond Public Schools (central Oklahoma) parent with three children in elementary grades.

Dear Dr. Grunewald,

Three of my children have attended Heritage Elementary school for 2 years and have had a wonderful experience. The teachers, counselors and administrators are amazing!

I met with Mrs. Frank and the counseling staff on November 4 to discuss my children’s participation in the SEAL classes. I inquired about the curriculum and themes/topics covered in the sessions.

The curriculum being used is Conscious Discipline. The counselors at Heritage write their own lessons based on this curriculum.

I was slightly familiar with Conscious Discipline since it was used at Clyde Howell where my oldest child attended pre-k, 8 years ago. I borrowed a book from the teacher and found it to be comparable to Love and Logic. These I feel were wonderful programs for elementary kids. However, upon returning home I decided to visit the Conscious Discipline website.

I was quite shocked at the description that popped up before clicking on the site link: Home – Social and Emotional Learning It reads: “Conscious Discipline believes that trauma-responsive social and emotional learning (SEL) is a lens through which transformational change in the areas of racial equality, equity and inclusion is not only possible but essential.”

This sounds like a CRT, social justice, whatever you want to call it, platitude to me. A political indoctrination program for kids.

CRT is not just a legal theory taught at the college level. CRT is a movement, a conduit of identity politics which promotes the analysis of many aspects of society through the prism of racism and Marxist victim-hood mentality (oppressor vs. oppressed).

It’s clear to me that CRT has been repackaged and renamed SEL.

On the Conscious Discipline’s home page I also found the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) seal indicating that Conscious discipline has the CASEL SELect Program Designation.

Until recently CASEL downplayed the leftist political bent of SEL, however CASEL CEO, Karen Niemi, announced in December 2020 that her company “has revised its definition of and framework for ‘socio-emotional learning’ to highlight the value of SEL as a weapon for social justice.”

Karen Niemi. “We know from research that attention to students’ holistic learning and development can promote high-quality educational opportunities and outcomes for all children across race, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation and other differences.

Importantly, SEL has potential to promote the academic, social and emotional development of all children. SEL can also help adults and students co-create more equitable schools and communities.

While SEL alone will not solve the deep-seated inequities in the education system, it can help adults and students build more meaningful relationships and develop knowledge, skills and mindsets to interrupt inequitable policies and practices, create more inclusive learning environments and nurture the interests and assets of all individuals.

CASEL will work alongside researchers, educators and policymakers to address issues of identity, agency and belonging that are fundamental to human development”

This is obviously a CRT/SEL school curriculum publisher’s clearinghouse. The NoVo Foundation is a funding partner of CASEL. NoVo focuses heavily on abortion rights, LGBT interests and left-wing economics.

CASEL is basically a political lobbyist group promoting SEL programs in schools and in the workplace.

Here is just a sample of more articles and/or statements that raised CRT red flags from the Consciousness Discipline website: Conscious Discipline – CASEL Program Guide – This is the curriculum description “Strategies supporting educational equity””Conscious Discipline offers strategies for working with bias. This includes training for adults to examine bias and understand how it creates barriers to authentically connecting with students, assessing students SEL needs, and responding to conflict constructively and impartially. “Supporting Racial Equity: Essential Next Steps for Conscious Discipline – The screenshot below captures what Dr. Becky Bailey said on July 29, 2020:

SEL as a Lever for Equity: 5-Part Webinar Series from CASEL – Posted on August 11, 2020 by Conscious Discipline:

“Conscious Discipline believes that trauma-responsive social and emotional learning (SEL) is a lens through which transformational change in the areas of racial equality, equity and inclusion is not only possible, but essential.” (See more in the screenshot below)

“However, Conscious Discipline recognizes that SEL alone isn’t enough to resolve longstanding inequities. We must directly promote equity, listen and learn from one another, and have conversations that feel challenging or uncomfortable.”

I guess “conversations that feel challenging or uncomfortable” means showing my kids Raising Antiracist Kids: 9 Steps from Ibram X. Kendi – the guy who thinks my kids are racist because they have white skin – but here he is promoted by Conscious Discipline.

Dr. Grunewald, does CASEL’s revised definition of and framework for SEL align with our SEAL program?

How do you ensure EPS SEAL curriculums are not promoting the tenets of HB 1775?

You said in your response to the public comments made at the November 1 meeting and Wednesday night on News 9 that EPS does not teach CRT and is only taught in law schools. CRT has invaded all sectors of academia, including education.

I beg to differ and I now believe Consciousness Discipline to be rooted in CRT.

How is EPS using this – or any other CASEL-approved program or curriculum – NOT violating HB 1775?

The EPS website does not have any information regarding SEAL curriculum. While trying to find out what curriculum was being used SEAL, I came across a June 22, 2020 write-up: Sunset Counselor Wins Award and $10,000 Prize – Edmond Public Schools. The article states:”Ms. Bointy” has been a pioneer in using the Sanford Harmony social and emotional learning program.”At the end of the article, it states:”Sanford Harmony has been recognized by CASEL as a quality program.”I did some digging around on the Harmony page and clicked on the Research tab at the very top of the page.

I learned “Students participating in Harmony reported significantly more diverse friends than did those from control groups. Furthermore, these peer influences were related to improved writing and math performance in classrooms using Harmony, but not in control classrooms.”(DeLay, et al., 2016).

Why is an SEL program concerned about collecting data on students and their friends?

From the Harmony-Inspire Rebuilding Communities Tool-Kit page 9, titled: “How can we foster diversity and inclusion in our communities and support many students who have seen and experienced unrest and inequity?”Item 2 says:”Support students in developing their critical thinking skills and forming inclusive attitudes by providing students the tools to identify and reject stereotypes and seek friendships with a diverse group of peers. These skills help them be advocates for themselves and their families, peers, and community members now and in the future. Explore developmentally appropriate critical thinking skills about stereotypes and developing empathy for other points of view in the “Pop that Stereotype” activity.”

Is Ms. Bointy still teaching this CRT-laced program? If so, she and EPS are violating HB 1775.
The U.S. Department of Education has been pushing schools by providing funding and training in physiological, attitudinal and behavioral standards (SEL) for years. ESSER funding can be and are being used by EPS to purchase more SEL curriculum – ostensibly to curb ‘learning loss’.
How does SEL address learning loss? I think more academic subjects should be taught to address that issue instead – art class for all elementary students, handwriting, spelling or more of the core subjects.

Who decides what attitudes, mindsets, values and beliefs should be taught and promoted to a child? You? The government?

No. We the parents do. There is subjectivity among adults who develop SEL curriculum that reflects their attitudes, mindsets, values and beliefs that is then taught to a class which is a group.

SEL/CRT is pushing collective values over individual values. Impressionable elementary children and children undergoing puberty with incomplete pre-frontal cortexes are being influenced to act or think how a group or teacher or school district says or does in order to belong or be “canceled” by the group if they have a different viewpoint. Does a school have any business defining these competencies and teaching them? No.

Why is teaching Great Expectations not enough SEL for Edmond Public School students?

I don’t want someone else deciding who my children are – I want my children to develop their own sense of self.

Sincerely,

Emily Wright

November 10, 2021 0