Summary
Grow Progress identified three effective messages for shifting opinions on "CRT" bans in schools, with particularly strong impact among Republican voters.
Background
Following the 2021 election, education policy and "critical race theory" emerged as persistent political issues. This research explored public attitudes toward teaching about racism's ongoing effects in K-12 schools and tested messages designed to reduce support for laws banning such instruction.
Audience Understanding Survey
On November 1st, researchers surveyed 790 respondents about whether schools should teach "the ongoing effects of slavery and racism in the United States."
Key Findings:
Supporters tended to be younger, less likely to be white, and identified with values like "compassion, equality, and justice." They described relevant curriculum as "important," "essential," and "critical."
Moderate respondents raised concerns about age-appropriateness and suggested such topics suit older students.
Strong opponents were older, predominantly white, and scored high on patriotism and nostalgia metrics. They expressed low trust in teachers and rejected the premise that racism persists in America.
Rapid Message Test
Researchers tested eight messages with 2,176 respondents, asking about support for laws banning teaching on systemic racism and slavery's ongoing effects.
Winning Messages:
"Education is good" (featuring a Black student) and "Divide us" (emphasizing shared values) reduced support by 9 and 10 points respectively.
"Not politicians" increased opposition by 10 points by focusing on who decides curriculum,educators and parents, not politicians,without mentioning race directly.
Party-Specific Results:
These messages proved substantially more effective with Republican voters: "Not politicians" moved Trump voters by 29 points versus 11 points for Biden voters; "Education is good" showed a 17-point effect on Trump voters compared to 8 points for Biden voters.
No messages produced significant backlash effects.
Appendix: Message Texts
Education is good:
"Race shouldn't just be taught at home with families. It should be taught in school because we come to school to learn and learning about yourself is a part of the school experience."
Divide us:
"Most of us want similar things from our schools, no matter if we're White, Black, Latino, Asian, or Native. We want our teachers to care for every student, and to teach them the full history of our country."
Not Politicians:
"Parents and teachers want to give kids the best education they can... But now politicians want to limit what history our kids can learn about and what books they can read."
Butt out:
A parent-focused message emphasizing direct relationships with teachers and opposition to state-level curriculum mandates.
Tough issues:
A parent arguing schools should prepare children for complex modern realities, including understanding racism.
Age-appropriate:
Acknowledges parental frustrations while advocating for truthful, developmentally suitable instruction.
Afraid of the dark:
Uses a personal anecdote to argue that ignoring racism doesn't protect children.
Mrs. Brown:
A nostalgic narrative about a history teacher presenting complete historical truth across perspectives.
Study Details
- Sample: 2,176 respondents, balanced by age, race, gender
- Weighting factors: Age, race, gender, education, party affiliation
- Dates: November 3–4, 2021
- Geography: United States