For a time in the boiling cauldron of Texas politics and education policy, Critical Race Theory, or CRT, was hot. Now, not so much.
At its peak, Republicans alleged it was a racist policy indoctrinating young white students. Democrats called it a fake issue, while Republican Glenn Youngkin used it to help win the governor鈥檚 seat in Virginia last November.
His upset victory over incumbent Democrat Terry McAuliffe led Republicans across the country to run with it, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
鈥滻 fought to defend the rights of parents in their child鈥檚 education,鈥� Abbott told a crowd of supporters in San Antonio in May. 鈥淎nd it is why I signed not one but two laws in the state of Texas, banning the teaching or use of Critical Race Theory in every subject, in every grade and every public school across the entire state.鈥�
Across the state, school districts have said they don鈥檛 teach CRT, but that did little to shift perceptions. Democrats, like gubernatorial hopeful Beto O鈥橰ourke, began hearing CRT questions while campaigning.
鈥淭hey're not teaching CRT in grade school right now,鈥� he told voters at a campaign event. 鈥淭hey may be teaching it in law school where it is appropriate, but they're trying to scare us about it nonetheless. I don't know why, but if we do get scared, we're not focused on reading retention or the fact that seven out of ten 4th graders are not reading at grade level in the average Texas classroom right now.鈥�
If you are a suburban mom, anti-CRT laws may have won you over, according to political watchers. However, that's not the case for Catrenna Wisner. Her kids attend Carrollton-Farmers Branch schools.
鈥淚 do feel that, as African-Americans, we do need to know a lot about our history,鈥� said Wisner, after leaving a CFBISD school board meeting. 鈥淚 don't think that's taught enough in the school, about where we come from to where we are right now. I do feel we touch on a little bit of it, but not as much as we should.鈥�
Republicans have largely dropped CRT and other education topics. Associate political science professor at Southern Methodist University Matthew Wilson said there鈥檚 a good reason.
鈥淭hey want to keep it simple,鈥� Wilson said, 鈥渂ecause they think that that the recipe for winning is to make the whole election a referendum on Joe Biden's stewardship nationally, in terms of economic prosperity and public safety. Anything else becomes noise.鈥�
Wilson said the loud and clear mid-term strategy is and has been to run against the party in power, because it works. In the past quarter century, he said there have been maybe two exceptions when the economy was great, but this isn鈥檛 one of them. Inflation in the U.S. is at a 40-year high. In time, Wilson said those education concerns may reappear, but not yet.
Adding to the economic woes?
鈥淭axes," said Christi Beck, a voter in the Fort Worth Independent School District. 鈥漈he property taxes. Absolutely they're too high. That would be a big one for me鈥opefully lowering.鈥�
O鈥橰ourke and Abbott have heard voters like Beck. Both have accused their opponent of raising property taxes, and each says he鈥檒l lower them.
As for crime, when it comes to education, school safety is the top issue, especially after the Uvalde massacre.
Nineteen students and two adults were killed in the May shooting at Uvalde鈥檚 Robb Elementary School.
It鈥檚 well known that O鈥橰ourke wants tougher gun laws and Abbott doesn鈥檛. State lawmakers approved millions of dollars in school security measures to further secure buildings, lock doors and vestibules, add cameras and more.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch parent Carrie Birmingham says that鈥檚 not enough.
鈥淲e've talked about locking doors,鈥� Birmingham said. 鈥淚 feel like that's not working, and immediately after Uvalde happened, my initial reaction was, we need some more gun laws. Guns is like the most important issue to me. Those other issues are important to me too, but none of that other stuff is important if you're not safe.鈥�
Birmingham said in this election, she鈥檚 truly one of those rare, undecided voters. She vows she鈥檒l make a decision in time and vote.
Got a tip? Email Reporter Bill Zeeble at bzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on Twitter @bzeeble.
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