A steady rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. Potential for heavy rainfall. High near 60F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a half an inch..
Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 52F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Updated: April 21, 2026 @ 3:15 am
Editor,
Is Critical Race Theory coming to our high schools? The San Mateo Union High School District passed the racial equity policy for seven high schools on Jan. 20. It seems to follow the CRT agenda. Speakers for and against this policy had good points but many were not heard.
CRT is a theory that’s about focusing on a person’s race — the color of their skin — and it fosters division. It creates dissatisfied with one’s outward appearances rather than looking at each person as unique. Instead of empowering each person to be the best they can, following CRT develops a “victim” mentality. Imposing CRT on children only serves to segregate them, in this already isolating time.
Why not set our sights on unity? We should be treating each child as having a diversity of gifts and talents that can contribute to society. On the positive, like love, and friendships, and help young people navigate this tough world with encouragement instead of hate. Because that’s what CRT is — it’s hate. It’s being critical of people based on their race without regard for the beauty inside each person, especially a child.
Three of the five board members are up for election this year — Peter Hanley, Linda Lees Dwyer and Robert Griffin. Having a fresh set of new candidates will help our young minds focus on what’s ahead for them in a positive light rather than dwelling on the dark past.
Read the actual policy/regulation: SMUHSD.org: Board Agenda 1/20/22, scroll to J17. Read AR 0415.1 and BP 0415.1 Hear it on YouTube: SUHSD 1/20/2022 pick the 3:56 one.
Laura Aden
Redwood City
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(10) comments
Well written, Ms. Aden. CRT garbage provides more incentive for school choice. However, it will be interesting to see how teachers representing the outward appearance being targeted actually teach CRT. And how they’re atoning for their outward appearance.
Hey, Terence
You'd be surprised. There are teachers... even in the Bay Area who disagree with CRT. Most of them keep their heads down. They want to protect their job... prevent being cancelled... and sometimes they feel beholden to the CTA because of their union's success in getting them solid contracts. In the words of Bob Dylan... "Money doesn't talk, it swears."
On the subject of school choice... did you see the AFT president holding a Ukrainian flag during a photo op to acknowledge the bravery of the folks standing up to Putin? She was holding the flag upside down. A journalist quipped that the photo was a good argument for school choice. And... the same AFT president tweeted her support with #StandWithUkriane... wow.
Hi Ray. Thanks for the hilarious reminder. I did see that photo op - showing an upside down Ukrainian flag, pre-printed by the AFL-CIO. I guess those two organizations must have had their flag fact-checked by the same folks servicing CNN, AP, or the NYT. As for teachers keeping their head down, it’s understandable, but it’s hard to see how effective anti-bullying messages are to young’uns when teachers aren’t willing to stand up to their bullies. If anything, this CRT garbage is promoting a bullying works message.
Disagree. Republicans can't erase diversity or history, but they're trying so hard it hurts.
Tommy...
Republicans are not trying erase the stain of racism on our nation's history. Why would they erase the Democratic Party's first president... Andrew Jackson who was not only a slave owner but a slave trader? Why would they erase a Democratic Party's progressive president, Woodrow Wilson, who segregated the federal civil service? Why would they erase another Democratic Party progressive president, FDR, who incarcerated American citizens because of their race? Why would they erase the memory of Democratic Party nominee LBJ who opposed civil rights until the civil rights movement made it impossible to do so?
And yet Joe Biden, who sponsored the 1994 crime bill which started the era of mass incarceration affecting Black communities, said that Donald Trump was the country's first racist president. Who's really trying to erase history?
Some members of the Democratic Party, on the other hand, are trying to re-write our history. The United States was not founded on slavery 400 years ago, and the war for independence was not fought nearly 250 years ago to preserve slavery as the 1619 Project would have us believe.
CRT does not preserve diversity; it promotes divisiveness.
We are a county committed to equity in all that we do. This policy for the district embodies that in a healthy and appropriate way. Read the full policy here https://www.smuhsd.org/cms/lib/CA02206192/Centricity/Domain/55/N_2_RacialEquityPolicyAR0415English_0.pdf
Craig - that is about as healthy as a festering sore. The bottom line is that being White is the cause of all of our misery and doom while restricting folks like Obama. It probably took many White-privileged to come up with this garbage. Why even bother to comply, Whites are all guilty and that is why millions flock to this country. I don't see them flocking to China or Africa. You are just another water boy for the woke crowd.
New state law mandates "ethnic studies" for graduation starting in 2030. Sequoia High in RWC has been teaching this course for two years. I have been trying to find out just what is being taught but have hit a brick wall - phone and email not returned. More ammo for people who want choice in where they spend their education dollar.
Hello, Will
Check < https://smcoe.org > for the San Mateo County Office of Education's recommended curricula. You will also find "Talking About Racism and Injustice" under the "Resources for Families" tab. Although IMO the recommended content is slanted to the left, some good and sensible talking points are included.
Here is a sampling of the SMCOE's material... "Being antiracist is different for white people than it is for people of color. For white people, being antiracist evolves with their racial identity development. They must acknowledge and understand their privilege, work to change their internalized racism, and interrupt racism when they see it. For people of color, it means recognizing how race and racism have been internalized, and whether it has been applied to other people of color.
All racial groups struggle under white supremacy. People of color groups are not always united in solidarity. People of color can act by challenging internalized white supremacy and interrupting patterns of prejudice against other racial groups. For everyone, it is an ongoing practice and process."
no wonder they're not returning my calls. They must be in a foxhole.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.