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District Newsletter: Mid-July, 2021
District Newsletter: Mid-July, 2021

Integrity in the Classroom - Critical Race Theory v. Equity

Back to school is right around the corner. As curriculums are being prepared for the coming semesters, it is helpful to review the concept of Critical Race Theory and the implementation of equality into the classroom.

Closeup of a box of crayons of assorted colors, with a child in the background
Mask up to protect vulnerable communities from highly-transmissible Covid variants

Reviewing Mask Requirements

As a reminder, masks are currently optional for fully vaccinated individuals and up to personal preference if staff or students choose to wear them while in school buildings. The exception is on buses, which still require masks for all students. As contradictory as this sounds, the mask requirement on buses is a state mandate which we must follow.

We are expecting the mask mandate guidance from the Department of Health to change before September.  Any changes will be communicated as soon as possible to all of our stakeholders. 

NEW District App Launched

The district now has a new, updated app! Be sure to download the app for all the latest information about our school district. Search “Robbinsville Schools” in your phone app store and look for our updated school logo when downloaded. 

  • For individuals that have our old district app (blue logo app), please be sure to delete this off your device as this app will not be updated with current information. 
Robbinsville Schools app is on the App and Play stores now
Summer sneakers and a school chalk drawing

Extended School Year and Summer Programs

Our Extended School Year programs (ESY) kicked off at the beginning of July and we are happy to welcome students back for six weeks of summer learning (either in-person or virtually). Students will maintain and strengthen their skills in math, language arts, and related services.

Our summer programs also expanded, as we are offering a pilot transitional program for graduating seniors, twice a week at Robbinsville High School. We are looking forward to a productive summer of learning and fun!

Supporting Mental Health 

At the end of the previous school year, we formed a Robbinsville Public Schools Mental Health Alliance to create an action plan for our students and staff for the 2021-22 school year. The group, consisting of teachers, staff, parents, and a student representative, has been working on the importance of mental health and the many supports we will be implementing in September and throughout the upcoming year. 

The district is committed to supporting everyone in our community as we transition back to what we plan on being a typical school year.  Look for much more communication and information meeting dates coming in the next few weeks.

Abstract art of hands caring together in the shape of a person's head
Artistic rendering of a child drawing with chalk "2021"

Outlook on Reopening

Administration has begun work to develop a reopening plan for the 2021-2022 school year. To date, no new guidance has been provided from the state. Please look for more information regarding our plan in early August. 

Back to School Start Date

As a reminder, the 2021-2022 school year will begin on Thursday, September 2, 2021. To view the district calendar for the 2021-2022 school year, please visit the district website. 

A desk with the September calendar, an alarm clock, a pen, and a notebook
Building improvements photo

Path to Improvement

Our grounds and maintenance crews have been hard at work to make improvements to our buildings over these summer months.

  • At Robbinsville High School, the HVAC replacement is well underway and teams are on track to ensure this is completed for the first day of school.
  • At Sharon Elementary School, 16 classrooms have had carpet updated with tile flooring.

In addition to annual summer cleaning projects that occur over the summer, each school has received ISO external storage containers for additional storage that will free up more classroom space within the buildings. 

Building improvements photo 2
Building improvements photo 3
Building improvements photo 4

Promoting DEI Initiatives

Over the course of the summer, Robbinsville will be engaging with an educational consultant to discuss diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in our schools. These initiatives foster engagement of various subpopulations (gender, ethnicity, ability level, sexual orientation, socioeconomic level, English ability, etc.) in our school district and help fulfill our district vision for a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. As some of these subpopulations experience achievement gaps, we are working with an equity consultant this year to review how to best support ALL students in our schools and classrooms; from culture and climate, to discipline, to differentiating instruction to meet students’ needs.

Play blocks spelling out the word Diversity

Leading this work is a Steering Committee made up of a BOE representative, our Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Director of Student Services, RHS Assistant Principal, REA (Robbinsville Education Association) President, staff members from each building, a community representative, and a rising RHS senior. This group will collaborate with the consultant to draft a mission and vision for DEI in Robbinsville Public Schools. 

In addition, they will help create a community survey and focus group questions for our wider Robbinsville community. Be on the lookout for this survey in the early fall; it will also ask if you’d be interested in participating in our district-wide focus groups. We will be facilitating groups to solicit input and feedback from community members, parents, staff, and students. We aim to leverage data collected from the survey and focus groups to identify gaps and set goals to improve our climate, programming, and instruction so that we can better fulfill our board goal of promoting equity, equality, and inclusion in every aspect of the Robbinsville Public Schools.

Integrity in the Classroom:
Critical Race Theory v. Equity

The past 18 months have changed us and have shed light on the challenges we continue to face regarding equality. Our children are confronted with this complicated issue on a daily basis, and it is the duty of our school system to provide them with the tools they need to approach and understand these topics. Our goal is to provide a safe and thriving learning environment that will contribute to a fair and equal society. To that end we would like to address the difference between critical race theory (CRT) and equity and the incorporation of these concepts in our schools.

The complex construct of (CRT) has been around for 40 years and is based on the idea that racism is systemic in our society and not just demonstrated by an individual with prejudices. Simply put, CRT asserts that racial inequality is woven into all aspects of our society, including the legal system, banking system, criminal justice system, law enforcement, etc., and negatively affects people of color throughout all parts of their life.

In New Jersey and, more importantly, here in Robbinsville, we are obligated to teach the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, which do not include CRT.   However, public schools in New Jersey are legally required to instruct students on topics such as civics, government, human rights, political institutions, and historical perspectives. The legal requirement includes the following topics:

  • U.S. History must include the topic of the Civil War and the lasting impact of salvery using sources that represent multiple perspectives by the end of 8th grade
  • Amistad Commission, mainly the contributions of African-Americans to our country, must be present in an age-appropriate place in the curriculum of elementary and secondary school students
  • The Holocaust and other genocides, including emphasizing the personal responsibility that each citizen bears to fight racism and hatred, in an age appropriate place in the curriculum of elementary and secondary school students
  • Contributions of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and persons with disabilities in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle and high school students
  • Unconscious bias and economic inequality, highlighting and promoting diversity, including economic diversity, equity, inclusion, tolerance, and belonging in connection with gender and sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, disabilities, and religious tolerance; examining the impact that unconscious bias and economic disparities have at both an individual level and on society as a whole; and encourage safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for all students regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual and gender identities, mental and physical disabilities, and religious beliefs (September 2021 start date). 

"...Our staff have undergone training on factual and effective ways to discuss these areas in an age-appropriate manner, without their individual bias or prejudices swaying their students.  Our Robbinsville Ready students are expected to develop original thoughts and ideas, become innovative thinkers, and develop habits of inquiry."

Our staff have undergone training on factual and effective ways to discuss these areas in an age-appropriate manner, without their individual bias or prejudices swaying their students.  Our Robbinsville Ready students are expected to develop original thoughts and ideas, become innovative thinkers, and develop habits of inquiry. Having these topics in our curriculum provides age-appropriate education on the subjects to our students while also promoting equity within our district.

CRT and equity are two distinct topics. By definition, “equity,” along with diversity and inclusion initiatives, fosters engagement of various subpopulations (gender, ethnicity, ability level, sexual orientation, socioeconomic level, English ability, etc.) and is simply ensuring that every student coming to a public school feels safe from name-calling, physical harm, and anything else that would derail their education. Simply put, we want our students to feel safe as well as seen while in our buildings, and the district has made the prominence of equity one of our top priorities. CRT and equity are two very different and distinctive concepts. The first is not taught in our schools, while the second should be embedded in everything we do as a public school system.

Robbinsville Public Schools

155 Robbinsville Edinburg Road, Robbinsville, NJ 08691
P: (609) 632-0910  |  F: (609) 371-7964