Where Critical Race Theory Meets School Choice

• In Event: CRT, Racism, and Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities in Education Governance

Abstract

The deeply divided reactions among Americans toward Critical Race Theory are, to some, a reason to hasten the spread of school choice programs. Others argue that how children learn about race and American history is too important to leave up to individual preferences. This distinction raises questions about whether schools' purpose is to provide a common understanding of what it means to be an American citizen or to provide support for whatever educational experiences parents prefer. This paper describes an MTurk-based survey experiment designed to test whether opponents of CRT would tolerate a political candidate who speaks positively of CRT but believes parents should wield control over the school curriculum. Results showed that when the candidate supported parent choice instead of asserting the school board’s authority on the matter, support increased significantly. Additionally, participants thought that a candidate supporting parent choice would have a better chance of being elected.

Author

• Jason Giersch, University of North Carolina, Charlotte