Superintendent’s Message: Your support and advocacy have never been more important

  • The headline of a recent opinion piece in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution best sums up the current situation for public schools in our state… “Opinion: Scary times for Georgia schools as politics stalk classroom.” Currently, there are at least four bills being considered at the state level that focus on prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) or divisive topics (House Bill 888, House Bill 1084, Senate Bill 375, Senate Bill 377). As we have stated, time and time again, CRT is not included in Gwinnett County Public Schools' Academic Knowledge and Skills (AKS) curriculum or in the state’s curriculum standards which are included in the AKS. CRT is not taught in Gwinnett schools.

    That said, recently, Heritage Action shared misinformation with their network, purporting that our school district teaches CRT and that we have taken steps to hide it. That is simply not the truth.

    I say again… CRT is not in our curriculum and is not taught in our schools.

    Some state leaders are seeking to legislate the curriculum, rather than allowing the educators and families who live in communities to lead that effort. They are attempting to “solve” a problem that doesn’t exist.

    Just a reminder that our AKS curriculum is developed, reviewed, and approved by GCPS educators, families, and the community. We provide an opportunity every year for our AKS curriculum to be reviewed. Our transparent process for curriculum development provides assurances that the curriculum children are learning in Gwinnett County classrooms is essential to their learning and embraced by our teachers, families, and the community.  

    I feel strongly that Gwinnett citizens should have the facts regarding this situation so that you and others who care about our students and our schools can counter myths that may be floating around our community in the wake of the misinformation that has been shared.

    These are precarious times for public education. We simply cannot allow misinformation to go unaddressed.

    Thank you for reading the Myths and Facts on this issue and the FAQ regarding our AKS curriculum.

    And thank you for advocating for our schools and for public education.  

    Your support and advocacy for our students has never been more important.

    Calvin J. Watts signature

    Calvin J. Watts,
    Superintendent