Buffalo Public Schools has a detailed plan to use some of the school system’s federal COVID-19 relief funds for college credit programs that teach students critical race theory.
The New York school district received $289 million in funds from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund under the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in 2021.
In its plan for the funds, released last year, the school district pledged to establish “Enhanced Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Scholar Programming,” which would involve partnering with local colleges to “bring college courses to the students; especially those courses that focus on diverse history and culture and critical race theory.”
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Critical race theory is an academic theory that claims U.S. institutions and culture are systemically racist and oppressive to racial minorities. Such systemic racism must be rooted out through anti-racism, a term prominently featured in diversity initiatives in schools.
The 169-page plan is replete with references to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” and how it must be implemented into the school district, including with the district’s relief funding. The district maintains an office of “Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Initiatives,” which says it “provide[s] culturally relevant curriculum, resources, and experiences to the students in the Buffalo Public School District.”
“The ESSER Relief Funding has the powerful potential to equalize programming and resources in schools and provide our brilliant scholars with some of the most profound social emotional, instructional, and equitable supports, like we have never seen before,” the document says. “The entire ESSER funding and CLIR emancipatory strategies will be aligned to the equity goals of our Superintendent and Board of Education.”
The CLIR website maintains a list of recommended reading items and videos, which includes an article on “5 keys to critical race theory’s benefits for all students” and books written by prominent critical race theorists Ibram X. Kendi and Gloria Ladson-Billings.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Erika Sanzi, the director of outreach for the parent activist group Parents Defending Education, said the Buffalo plan was notable because “all year, schools have claimed they don’t teach Critical Race Theory or use it to inform instruction.”
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“At the same time,” she said, “they have brazenly spent COVID relief funds to promote CRT in classrooms. Such dishonesty is insulting, but sadly unsurprising.”
