South Dakota's Noem issues 'critical race theory' order

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Tuesday issued an executive order instructing the Department of Education to review teacher trainings, content standards and other educational materials to ensure they are devoid of “divisive concepts” on race, resorting to her gubernatorial power after a bill she touted as banning so-called critical race theory from K-12 classrooms failed to pass the Legislature this year.

The Republican governor cast the order as restricting critical race theory from classrooms, but its power is limited to the Department of Education, which produces content standards, teacher trainings and other material for South Dakota public schools. School boards set much of their own policy and curricula.

“Our children will not be taught that they are racists or that they are victims, and they will not be compelled to feel responsible for the mistakes of their ancestors," Noem said in a statement announcing the order that lists six “divisive concepts” about race.

The Associated School Boards of South Dakota, which criticized Noem's bill as unnecessary and unclear during the legislative session, declined to immediately comment on the order.

A Republican-controlled Senate committee last month rejected Noem's bill, and some lawmakers on the committee suggested Noem should use the power of her office to influence the state's education content standards rather than push a law banning certain ideas from classrooms.

The ACLU of South Dakota accused Noem of “skirting” the legislative process by issuing the order when a similar proposal was already rejected by the Legislature. Jett Jonelis, the organization's advocacy manager, said in a statement that the move was “a subversion of our entire democratic process."

The bill drew hours of debate...