Local officials question PED's social studies standards

A local superintendent and a group of state legislators are questioning the Public Education Department's effort to update social studies standards at New Mexico’s K-12 schools.

Reps. Randy Crowder, R-Clovis and Martin Zamora, R-Clovis, are two of 15 House Republicans who signed on to a letter Wednesday asking the Legislative Education Study Committee “so that policymakers and the general public can thoroughly understand the process of rewriting K-12 social studies standards, ascertain what impact these ‘guiding principles’ will have … and why advocates of critical race theory were involved in creating these policies, and ensure concurred parents and other stakeholders will have a real voice in identifying and opposing any standard which tries to impose critical race theory upon our students.”

Renee Russ, superintendent at Clovis Municipal Schools, issued a letter to PED Deputy Secretary Perea Warniment on Tuesday noting local concern and resistance of a correlation between critical race theory and the state’s social studies standards, and said there are fears the public input portion of the process is being rushed.

She said so far the process for stakeholder input has not included authentic opportunities for feedback, and that early meetings left Clovis Municipal Schools attendees questioning the process.

“Although there may have been no intent for the revision of the standards to become a controversial or sensitive matter,” Russ wrote, “I assure you there are high levels of uncertainty and unrest across my community due to the revisions currently underway, and I suspect this may be true in other New Mexico communities as well.

“There is a widespread concern of a strong correlation of the impending revision of the Social Studies standards with ‘Critical Race Theory.’ Whether or not there is an intentional connection, NMPED leaders are encouraged to confront this concern head on, and to clearly and confidently call out the similarities and the differences between revisions to the standards and the controversial ‘Critical Race Theory.’”

Neither letter provided a definition of critical race theory, but Education Week magazine recently reported its “core idea is that racism is a social construct, and that it is not merely the product of individuals bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.”

In response to an inquiry from The News, a PED spokesperson said full implementation of the social studies standards are planned for the 2022-23 school year following a process that started last July. The proposed standards, which should be finished in July, will go through a minimum 30-day public comment period and a public hearing, and the new standards will be introduced early next year with professional development modules for districts to prepare.

“This is the first full review of our social studies standards in 20 years, so it is beyond time for this update,” Education Secretary Ryan Stewart said. “To keep the curriculum relevant, we regularly review what we’re teaching in every subject and incorporate new developments. In social studies, that includes a fuller understanding of the many cultures that together make New Mexico unique.”

In their letter, House Republicans concede the Legislature normally does not get involved in curriculum development, the issue of the appropriateness of critical race theory has become controversial.

House Republicans objected to a few portions of the guiding principles, including:

• “Incorporating … power, class conflict, struggle, geopolitical impact, social justice, equity and diversity through standards teach these topics in developmentally appropriate ways”

• “Identify tools to share authentic stories including the study of relationships between power and oppression

• “Empowering students to develop pride in his/her/theory identity, history, culture, region by incorporating a community based approach while preparing students to be part of a global environment.”

• “Ensuring divergence from a singular Eurocentric, cultural script.”

A message sent to Sen. William Soules, who chairs the Legislative Education Study Committee, was not immediately returned.

In a statement provided by the PED, Warniment said the work on the social studies standards is about inclusion.

“We are adding important and previously missing perspectives,” Warniment said, “and making sure our standards tell the stories of all our diverse community and their contributions to the state and the nation.”