University suspends student-teacher partnership after district bans Critical Race Theory

On October 17, CSU-Fullerton announced it suspended its partnership with Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District after it banned teaching Critical Race Theory.

Until then, CSU-Fullerton had been providing student-teachers from the university to aid K-12 education.

California State University Fullerton (CSU-Fullerton) announced it suspended its partnership with Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District on Oct. 17 due to the latter’s ban on teaching critical race theory (CRT).

Until then, CSU-Fullerton had been providing student-teachers from the university to aid K-12 education. 

[RELATED: Governor bans Critical Race Theory in schools, says it ‘threatens the integrity of education]

The suspended partnership came six months after Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified became the first Orange County district to ban CRT in a 3-2 vote on April 6.

In a statement on the issue to the District, Cal State Fullerton wrote, “The placement of student teachers in [PYLUSD], at this time, would place us in conflict with our goals to prepare teacher candidates with pedagogical approaches rooted in diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, race and gender theories, cultural-linguistic studies, social-emotional well-being, and tenets of Critical Race Theory.”

According to the Voice of OC, District Trustee Leandra Blades stated, “Keep the politics, the social justice, all of the noise out and just educate our kids.”

[RELATED: Indiana bills could prohibit CRT in state-funded schools, universities]

In response to the ban, CSU-Fullerton significantly decreased the number of student teachers placed in Yorba Linda Unified School District. 

In past years, the university placed 70 to 80 of its student teachers in the District.

This academic year, six such student educators have been placed in the district. The university stated on Oct. 17 that they “support these students toward program completion.”

Campus Reform has previously reported on CSU-Fullerton’s support of leftist ideology in the classroom. 

In March, for example, Campus Reform reported that the university was displaying posters across its campus that feature “Guiding Principles for Social Justice.”

Campus Reform has requested a comment from every individual and institution mentioned; the article will be updated accordingly.