'Critical Race Theory' and gender studies take center stage in Spokane

School board elections in Washington are mostly non-partisan, but that hasn’t stopped the polarization that’s infected much of our political system from showing up at their meetings.

Soundside headed to Spokane for a recent example, to Northwood Middle School, and a recent board meeting of the Mead School District.

School boards set policy for their districts and adopt instructional material like textbooks. That’s making them another battleground for the culture wars playing out in Facebook groups, on cable news, and around dinner tables across the U.S.

At issue in Spokane were a pair of proposals from Mead School Board President Michael Cannon. The first policy would have banned so-called “critical race theory” instruction from the school district, while the second would police gender studies materials in elementary libraries.