Wisconsin's State School Superintended Says Topics Regarding Slavery and Racism Will be Taught in Schools

Tuesday, April 19th, 2022 -- 12:01 PM

(Raymond Neupert, WRN) The head of the state department of public instruction says Wisconsin's students will continue to learn about the nature of racism and race in the nation's history.

State schools superintendent Dr. Jill Underly is reaffirming Wisconsin's efforts to educate students about the nation's history with slavery and racism in an op-ed released on Monday.

Spokesperson Abby Swetz says that Wisconsin's K-12 schools are not reaching critical race theory, which is a college-level course. "But if what you’re actually asking is, “Are we teaching students about race and racism?” then the answer is and should be yes."

Swetz says that the state's K-12 schools are teaching the truth about racism in how the country was founded. "To do anything else would be a blatant disregard for the truth of our country’s history and an erasure of the lived experience of our students."

Swetz says this isn't about teaching advanced theories to students who aren't ready for them, it's about having frank discussions about how America came to be. "Teaching about race and racism is the only way to teach the complete story of the United States."

Underly says that some people might be uncomfortable with these sorts of topics being taught to students, but that to do otherwise is a disservice to both Wisconsin and its young people. 

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