July 26, 2021
To our Springboro Families,
Springboro Schools would like to address the recent questions and concerns that have been shared by parents and community members regarding Critical Race Theory (CRT) and if CRT is being considered for this district’s curriculum. Additionally, we would like to clarify the purpose of the Superintendent’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee.
Springboro Schools has not and will not support or implement CRT into our curriculum at any grade level. Additionally, our curriculum will not include the following topics that are sometimes associated with CRT:
- Teaching from a perspective that the United States and/or its legal system is systematically racist and designed to create and maintain inequalities between genders, ethnicities, different religious heritages, or races
- Teaching that socialism and communism are morally superior to democracy, capitalism, and a free market economy
- That any gender, ethnicity, religious heritage, or race should feel superior or inferior
- That one should feel guilt or shame due to their ethnicity, religious heritage, race, or gender
Springboro Schools follows the Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) Learning Standards. Those standards for social studies were reviewed and adopted in 2018, and do not include CRT. As standards are updated and released, the Superintendent will make recommendations to the Board of Education on whether or not to adopt them. Springboro Schools would not recommend the support of the aforementioned curriculum items that are outlined above. To view ODE’s current standards for social studies, as well as all other subject areas, please visit CLICK HERE.
The D&I Committee’s focus is on improving the learning environment within Springboro Schools, in order to ensure that every student, regardless of ethnicity, religious heritage, gender, or race, feels welcome, safe, and ready to learn. The D&I Committee is not responsible for the district’s curriculum, nor does it have the authority to implement any changes to it; only the Superintendent and the Board of Education hold that authority. Report-outs and recommendations from the D&I Committee will continue to be public and are still subject to approval by the Superintendent and Board of Education. This is consistent with all other Superintendent committees.
Springboro Schools is committed to maintaining our excellent curriculum, which is the educational foundation of countless Springboro graduates who have gone on to enjoy success in numerous pursuits such as college, vocational school, military service, and skilled trades. We will also strive to continuously improve our environment and student experience so that every student is able to feel welcome and safe.
Thank you,
Larry Hook, Superintendent Springboro Schools