Loudoun Schools spends over $400,000 on consultant pushing critical race theory

Since 2018, Loudoun County Public Schools has spent $422,500 on critical race theory training to firms such as The Equity Collaborative, a company that specializes in helping schools “to further social justice … and to stand up to bias and oppression.” 

In June 2019, The Equity Collaborative laid the groundwork to infuse critical race theory in the county, issuing a report, “Systemic Equity Assessment: A Picture of Racial Equity Challenges and Opportunities in Loudoun County Public School District.”

A year later, in August 2020, the school district led a training on “Supporting an Equitable and Culturally Responsive Environment.”

On Sept. 24, 2020, Loudoun County Public Schools sent community members an email, detailing “Virtual Responsive Race Circles” it was beginning for students in its schools.

The email said:

These optional circles will provide students with the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings about race, inequity, and social justice while promoting positive social connections during this time of distance learning. The circles and questions will be differentiated based on the age level of the students.

In October 2020, the Loudoun County school board considered a draft policy to censure free speech by teachers, staff and other employees who said anything perceived as “undermining the views, positions, goals, policies or public statements” of the superintendent or the school board. It threatened “punishment.” The school board backed off after an outcry from parents and the teachers’ union.

References

Loudoun County Public Schools spent $422K on controversial critical race theory curriculum in past two years, West Nova News, Sept. 22, 2020

Virginia county spends nearly half a million on race programs for schools, New York Post, Dec. 15, 2020

Loudoun County Schools Spend Hundreds of Thousands on Critical Race Theory, Washington Free Beacon, Sept. 28, 2020