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The Liberty Elementary School District board has passed a new policy outlining content and teaching strategies that are restricted in classrooms.
Approved by a 3-1 vote, the policy prohibits the instruction of Critical Race Theory, promotion of equity of outcome over equality of opportunity and content related to racism, victimhood mentality and “values-based” Social Emotional Learning.
A study by the McCoy Center for Family Ethics in Society said equity of outcome-based education focuses on achieving equal results or outcomes for all students, regardless of their starting points. This contrasts with equality of opportunity, which emphasizes providing all students with the same starting conditions and support, allowing for varied outcomes based on individual efforts and abilities. The new policy prohibits any educational approach that emphasizes equity of outcome.
According to the Legal Defense Fund, CRT is an advanced analytical framework developed to examine United States history and societal structures through the lens of systemic racism and its impact on institutions. It is typically studied at higher education levels, such as in university courses on law or social sciences.
Despite public debate, CRT is not commonly part of K-12 curriculum.
“We don’t teach Critical Race Theory as it’s written in this document. It is a philosophical discussion at a university level,” said board member Paul Bixler.
Instead of prohibiting specific teaching theories or strategies, Bixler suggested simplifying the policy language to restrict instruction to content that aligns with state standards. This would ensure educational content remains focused on established curriculum requirements rather than addressing a theory list to adjust if content shifts into state standards in the future.
SEL encompasses processes for managing emotions, setting goals, empathizing with others, building relationships and making responsible decisions. It is a method for teaching social skills through observation and interaction in school and social settings.
The policy clarifies that while SEL programs focused on emotional stability, character education and the Liberty core values — respect, integrity, accountability, high standards and student-centered learning — are permitted, the district will not endorse or promote any political ideology.
“This is a nonpartisan position, but this to me just speaks of politics,” Bixler remarked before casting her vote against the policy.
Governing board Vice President Bryan Parks agreed with Bixler that the policy was politically motivated but voted to supported it.
“For 30 years, curriculum developers have been putting this destructive political ideology in our school. We are taking it out,” Parks said. He also requested an audit of the current curriculum to ensure that Liberty Elementary School District students were not exposed to educational content based on equity, CRT, or SEL frameworks.
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