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Waller Independent School District (WISD) is located in the greater Houston area. WISD has over 7,200 students enrolled, eight campuses, and was created in 1887.

Despite being banned from Texas schools, Critical Race Theory (CRT) is taught in Texas classrooms. Waller Independent School District was confronted by parents last fall about explicit books on the shelves. Now, there are concerns about CRT being taught in WISD classrooms. Per WISD policy, teachers must go over both sides of any controversial issue.  

According to the Texas Scorecard, Waller residents share that “Throughout the year, a teacher has highlighted social justice issues and minority oppression through her in-class library. The teacher has also avoided the issue of teaching CRT by allowing students to “preview” books for 15 minutes before deciding whether they want to read them.” For instance, in class, students read the book “Harbor Me” which magnifies social issues through the eyes of young teens. The book covers a variety of stories, such as a young boy who was told by his parents to never point a gun, even a fake one, at a police officer. The book also includes stories about a girl whose father was imprisoned and a boy who deals with the struggles of his own father being deported. The main objective of the book, according to the Texas Scorecard, is to cultivate fears of racial profiling and racial privilege in the classroom.

Updated – April 2022