Federal Program Pushes Critical Race Theory Into Orange County Schools: Trustee

The Orange County Department of Education in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Feb. 23, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

An Orange County Board of Education trustee alleges the county superintendent accepted funds from a federal COVID grant last year for a program that espouses critical race theory for its schools.

OC Department of Education Superintendent Al Mijares accepted a $507,000 grant to allow the county Health Care Agency to create mental health centers—called WellSpaces—in a handful of department schools in a program known as Equity in OC.

The agency created the program in 2021 to disperse a $23 million federal COVID-19 grant it received from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support mental and physical health in schools.

During a Jan. 4 meeting, Trustee Ken Williams told the board the program centers around critical race theory, an academic framework that teaches racism is systemic and woven into institutions.

“The grant has nothing to do with the primary and fundamental purpose of direct academic instruction or inculcating critical thinking skills and facts and knowledge,” Williams said.

He pointed to Equity in OC’s website, which states its mission is to address “health inequities in Orange County” through “systemic changes backed by data and achieved through collective action.”

Trustee Lisa Sparks said during the meeting that seeing the CDC’s involvement in the grant and WellSpaces could raise concerns for some parents.

“[When] people see that the CDC is involved in adopting certain curricula through these health grants, [they’re] are a little uncomfortable with this,” Sparks said.

‘Engaging in Systems Change’

Equity in OC aims to provide equitable access to mental health services for students, as well as implement systemic change through WellSpaces, according to the grant agreement.

“Grantees commit to understanding and engaging in systems change, as it is the sole purpose of this grant,” the agreement states.

When the department accepted the funds, it agreed to adhere to the program’s charter, according to the grant agreement, which states one of its core values is “anti-racism,” and that participants in the initiative “will have the opportunity to challenge institutional and systemic racism” and “to identify and address the impact of racism in all its forms.”

At the board meeting, several parents spoke out against the grant.

One parent argued the grant’s objectives “have nothing to do with COVID-19 and only with extremist ideology.”

“I am deeply disturbed by the transfer of money to push a political agenda. I do not want my children exposed to this ideology,” the parent said.

The parent went on to question what information Equity in OC would have access to.

“I [do not] want people to have access to my children [without my knowledge],” she said. “This is a farce to gain access to the money, access to our children, and access to our medical records.”

Access to Data

In accepting the grant, the education department also agreed to provide the county health care agency “access to any raw digital data collected during the program,” according to the grant agreement.

While the agreement promises data that includes “personal identifiable information” will “never be requested,” the agency can access a summary report of any evaluations, surveys, or other items.

Equity in OC representatives may also make site visits to WellSpaces on school campuses as they please.

Stacy Deeble-Reynolds, the Orange County Department of Education’s director of Student Achievement and Wellness, told the board during the meeting that students who visit a campus WellSpace check in on an iPad with the last four digits of their student ID instead of their name.

Students then select words to describe how they’re feeling from a list of options on the iPad, including “afraid,” “hopeless,” “depressed,” “lonely,” “happy,” “inspired,” and “hopeful.”

If a student selected a “monitoring word” such as “depressed” or “lonely,” an email is automatically sent to school staff, who can talk to the child about what they’re feeling.

Deeble-Abrams said WellSpaces are typically staffed by an existing school counselor or mental health worker, as the grant is not large enough to cover hiring.

Each district has its own policy on how and when they notify parents, and the program would defer to district policy, she said.

“Parents are typically included in what’s going on,” Deeble-Abrams said.

Mijares was not present at the Jan. 4 meeting.

Mijares, as well as a spokesperson from the Orange County Department of Education, were not immediately available for comment.