Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRt) and Critical Race Theory (CRT): When Is CRt not CRT?

This article examines the Banyan School District in Florida as it attempts to implement culturally responsive teaching (CRt) amid political challenges stemming from critical race theory (CRT) debates and restrictive state legislation. It highlights the complex negotiations among district leaders, educators, students, families, and political actors influenced by competing pressures including anti-CRT laws like Florida's "Stop W.O.K.E. Act," which bans teaching CRT and restricts diversity training. The case focuses on efforts to introduce an Advanced Placement African American Studies course and related CRt initiatives, the community's divided responses, and leadership's struggle to balance inclusive educational goals with compliance to state mandates. The article also contextualizes CRT and CRt within historical and legal frameworks of educational equity, clarifying their distinctions and the implications of their conflation in policy and practice.