The conversation on critical race theory in the Idaho capitol has continued past this year’s legislative session. Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin gathered the Education Task Force for the first time Thursday with the goal of defining social justice indoctrination and critical race theory.
The purpose of McGeachin’s task force is to examine indoctrination of Marxism, socialism, communism and critical race theory in Idaho education. This follows concerns the past few months in the legislative session about indoctrination. This ultimately played a part in education budget cuts.
The committee will meet for the next three months to review these indoctrination issues and determine a resolution by August. McGeachin said the intent of the task force is to protect young people in Idaho.
There are 16 people on the task force including McGeachin and task force co-chair Pricilla Giddings, a Republican from White Bird.
“I appreciate the Lt. Governor taking the initiative to push back against the flawed concept that white people are inherently racist and that our young people should be made to feel guilty for actions they have never committed and biases they have never displayed,” Giddings said in a press release. “This is the kind of proactive leadership Idaho so desperately needs right now.”
The task force meeting included a presentation from committee member Scott Yenor, a political science professor at Boise State University. Yenor addressed the task force on the origins of critical race theory.
“Critical race theory seemed to come like a fire bell in the night,” Yenor said.
Yenor found that an increased prevalence of the theory was immediate once the Biden administration entered office. Yenor and McGeachin both described critical race theory and social justice indoctrination as cynical ideologies.
“It’s a big fork in the road and it’s a good thing the task force is here to evaluate each path,” Yenor said.
Ana Miller, task force member and director of education policy at the Idaho Freedom Foundation, focused her lecture on social justice indoctrination. She said the mission of indoctrination in schools is to help people become “woke.” Miller said the steps involved included stigmatizing meritocracy, examining systemic issues, forming a critical conciseness and creating activist students.
Throughout the meeting, the task force was set off track while addressing protestors. Two protestors holding a sign reading “EduKKKation Taskforce” were asked by co-chair Giddings to move to the back of the room. Other protestors held signs showing a picture of McGeachin posing with two members of the Three Percenters, an extreme far right and anti-government organization, back in 2019. These protestors were asked to leave and escorted out of the chambers by security.
The task force will reconvene for their second meeting June 24.
Sierra Pesnell can be reached at [email protected]
Erin Fanning
Excellent overview of the issues! It will be interesting to see how all this unfolds.