Burnett: Bozeman Schools Pushing “Undisguised CRT”

Former Bozeman-area legislator Tom Burnett (R) says the Bozeman schools are attempting to push Critical Race Theory (CRT) propaganda through the district's "Equity Advisory Committee."

Burnett is encouraging Bozeman residents to show up at a Monday night school board meeting to oppose the recommendations being put forth by the Bozeman School District 7 Equity Advisory Committee. He calls the recommendations "undisguised CRT."

At issue for Burnett is the mission statement produced by the committee, which reads:

We Are Committed to supporting and sustaining an educational community that is inclusive, diverse and equitable. The values of diversity, inclusion and equity are inextricably linked to our mission of quality and excellence, and we embrace these values as being critical to development, learning, and success. To fully realize our mission it is imperative we recognize the institutional barriers, including racism and bias, that contribute to the pervasive opportunity gaps and the resulting disparate educational outcomes within our school system.

Here's a screenshot from the school board's agenda for the June 28th meeting:

Are the Bozeman schools institutionally racist and biased? Not so, says Burnett. He says the school board should focus on academic excellence, not divisiveness.

These are not empty, harmless words: they command actions, teachings, time allocation, and budgets. They should be rejected.

This school system is not guilty of deep, abiding, systemic, historical racism. Racism and bias are not responsible for disparate educational outcomes here. The Board should not confess these sins. Reject the policy. Focus not on division, but excellence. 

Click below to hear the full audio of our chat with former state legislator Tom Burnett (R-Bozeman).