“As an African American boy who grew up in Washington Heights in New York City, I almost never saw kids like me in any of the books assigned to me in school,” he wrote. “But through it all, what has not changed are my goals for my books: helping kids become the kind of readers that I never was letting kids see themselves on my pages and showing kids of color as just regular kids,” he wrote in an online statement. In response to the online petition and the formal complaint from a Katy ISD parent, Craft said so much has changed in his life since publishing “New Kid” and becoming the first graphic novelist to win the Newbery Medal. It’s unclear how many Katy ISD school libraries Craft’s books were in. School activities pertaining to selections under review and hosted outside of the instructional day, however, may continue as a formal review process takes place.” Pending the outcome of a review committee, school day activities associated with the selection under review are temporarily placed on hold. “Katy ISD library books are routinely reviewed through this process. “Any Katy ISD parent who chooses to challenge a library selection is encouraged to follow the District’s Board Policy EF (Local) that outlines the process for a formal challenge of an instructional resource,” Davis said. A district spokeswoman told KPRC as of Monday, 30 parents had opted out. The opt-out option came after a now removed online petition asking for the district to cancel Craft’s virtual visit, according to KPRC. An amended flyer was sent last Friday however, giving parents and guardians the option to opt their children out of the visit. Faced with the idea that they are part of two worlds, the book outlines their struggle to fit in where diversity is low.Īt the beginning of the school year, a flyer was sent out promoting Craft’s October 4 virtual visit with third through fifth graders at Roosevelt Alexander Elementary School, according to CNN affiliate KPRC. “New Kid” and “Class Act,” two works by Craft, tell the stories of a seventh and an eighth grader who attend a prestigious private school known for its academics, but one where they are among the few kids of color in their grades, according to Craft’s website. ‘Showing kids of color as just regular kids’ The law says social studies teachers can’t “require” or include in their courses the concept that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex” or the concept that “an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.” In September, a new Texas law aimed at restricting discussions of race and history in schools went into effect, so it’s not taught at Katy ISD schools. The term has also become politicized and attacked by its critics as Marxist ideology threatening the American way of life. But because of “one formal challenge,” the district postponed the event.Ĭritical race theory has been around for decades and has evolved over the years, but ultimately is taught with the goal of addressing and understanding inequality and racism in the US. Approximately 5,000 students were invited to be part of the event, Katy ISD spokesperson Laura A.