Governor Kristi Noem is issuing an executive order that bans the education department from seeking federal grants related to history and civics.
Some call the move intentionally divisive.
The executive order bans the Department of Education, which is under Governor Noem’s control, from applying for any federal grants that involve history or civics until after the 2022 legislative session.
In the order, Noem describes a growing movement to reject patriotic education and to downplay the positive revolution set in motion by the country’s founders.
The state legislature has already signaled its intent to bar any applications for those grants. The state education secretary has been critical of federal priorities in grant opportunities for history and civics.
The federal department of education has revised its language since the grant opportunities were announced. Critical Race Theory has become a controversial political issue. The academic movement seeks a critical examination of U.S. law and history regarding race.
A spokesperson for the governor says the order sends a clear message the governor will be working with the legislature to prevent critical race theory from being taught in classrooms.
Jennifer Keintz is a Democratic state lawmaker from Eden, who sits on the House Education committee. She says the executive order is manufacturing a controversy.
“I feel like we’re grasping at straws trying to find things for people to be upset about,” Keintz says. “It’s pretty well established that Critical Race Theory is not this awful indoctrination of children that some people seem to be worried is going to happen. I don’t think that the executive order was necessary.”
It’s unclear how many federal grants the Department of Education has sought for American history and civics. According to Open SD, the state’s transparency website, the Department of Education has not received any grants on history and civics topics in the last five years.
The state legislature has appropriated money for the Department of Education to perform a routine standards review of the state’s social studies curriculum. Their report is anticipated on August 6th.