New Maryland School Board Policy Could Prioritize Race In Decision Making, Community Engagement

A tentative Maryland school board policy reviewed on March 24 could prioritize race in community engagement standards and the board’s decision-making process, according to a memo of the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) Board’s policy.

Rebecca Smondrowski, the chair of the Board of Education Policy Management Committee, submitted a memo for proposed changes to Board Policy “ABA,” which include affirming the board’s commitment to “inclusive, culturally responsive, and antiracist engagement guidelines” that “inform the Board’s decision-making processes.”

The policy also vows to use “culturally responsive engagement planning,” a phrase that is synonymous with the teaching of critical race theory. A previous version of Board Policy “ABA” does not refer to critical race theory-inspired words such as “antiracist” or “culturally responsive.”