Biden administration says it was an ERROR to promote 'Abolitionist Teaching Network' handbook pushing staff to 'disrupt Whiteness and oppression' - and insist they do 'not endorse' the group's policies

 The Biden administration said it was an 'error' to promote a handbook urging teachers to 'disrupt Whiteness and other forms of oppression' in their Department of Education guidance on reopening schools.

The government document published this year linked to the Abolitionist Teaching Network's 'Guide for Racial Justice & Abolitionist Social and Emotional Learning' in a section describing how schools are a 'microcosm of society' and conversations essential to 'race and emotional learning' should be 'anchor tenets' in schools.

But the Department of Education has now said it was wrong to link back to the group and distanced themselves from their policies.

'The Department does not endorse the recommendations of this group, nor do they reflect our policy positions,' a spokesman said in a statement to Fox News. 'It was an error in a lengthy document to include this citation.

The Department of Education handbook on how to welcome children back to classrooms following COVID states that schools have a share of $122 billion in funding from President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan. 

It's introduction includes ways to help students 'for whom the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing inequities'. 

Abolitionist Teaching Network says that schools should '[b]uild a school culture that engages in healing and advocacy. This requires a commitment to learning from students, families, and educators who disrupt Whiteness and other forms of oppression.'

Their website also has various resources that link to ideas often associated with critical race theory - however they don't mention it by name. 

'Abolitionist Teaching Network's mission is to develop and support those in the struggle for educational freedom utilizing the intellectual work and direct action of Abolitionists in many forms,' the website states.

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The government document published this year linked to the Abolitionist Teaching Network's 'Guide for Racial Justice & Abolitionist Social and Emotional Learning' in a section describing how schools are a 'microcosm of society' and conversations essential to 'race and emotional learning' should be 'anchor tenets' in schools 

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Abolitionist Teaching Network says that schools should '[b]uild a school culture that engages in healing and advocacy. This requires a commitment to learning from students, families, and educators who disrupt Whiteness and other forms of oppression

The guide, first reported by Fox News, states that educators should remove 'all punitive or disciplinary practices that spirit murder Black, Brown, and Indigenous children'.

There is also a list of 'demands' for teachers, including '[f]ree, anti-racist therapy for White educators and support staff.'

According to Fox, the Abolitionist Teaching Network's co-founder Bettina Love said during a webinar earlier this year she would 'create a national database of antiracist school counselors, therapists and teachers.

She also said the organization is 'dedicated to not creating new schools or reimagining schools, but destroying schools that do nothing but harm Black and brown children'. 

If you don't recognize that White supremacy is in everything we do, then we got a problem,' Love said. 'I want us to be feared.' 

In September 2020, according to reports, she also conducted diversity training for managers and principals during which she said schools 'didn't see Black people as humans and were anti-Black.  

The teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools has been at the center of a furious debate between Republicans and Democrats.

The GOP have called for the academic practice, first started in the 1970s, to be removed from classrooms.

Critical Race Theory highlights how historical inequities and racism have become ingrained in institutions and society; therefore they continue to shape public policy and social conditions today.

Democrats believe it is vital to understand how race impacts society and is a way to 'eliminate racism'.

But Republicans believe this teaches children that they are inherently racist and said it is tantamount to indoctrinating American children. 

In an interview on Monday night, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said teachers should be fluent in 'dismantling racism' and accused Republicans of not wanting kids educated on the subject. 

'We should say why don't you want our schools to teach anti-racism? Why don't Republicans want their kids to know the tradition of anti-racism in the United States?' Ocasio-Cortez said. 'Why are they attacking the core roots of history in this country that strays anything beyond what we already know? … Why don't Republicans want us to learn how to not be racist? Why don't Republicans want kids to know how to not be racist?'

Republican legislators in more than 20 states have introduced bills that would restrict how teachers discuss racism, sexism, and controversial issues. In nine states, the bills have passed into law. 

It has become a key focus on the curriculum of schools over the last year amid the nationwide reckoning for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd.

But it has starkly divided opinion.

A Public Opinion Strategies poll from early June found that critical race theory is viewed negatively by voters with a 50 percent negative to 42 percent positive margin.

President Joe Biden also has expressed support for it.

In June, he signed an executive order that required all federal agencies to ramp up workplace training on 'systemic and institutional racism' and 'implicit and unconscious bias.'

Though his order did not mention critical race theory by name, it did instruct agency leaders to provide greater access to training that covers many of the ideas outlined in that theory.

Biden earlier reversed a previous executive order from then President Donald Trump that banned any diversity training in the federal government that was based in critical race theory.

President Biden believes that 'kids should learn about our history,' including the 'many dark moments,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in early July when pressed about the president's stance on teaching critical race theory.

'The president believes that in our history, there are so many dark moments, and there is not just slavery and racism in our history. There is systemic racism that is still impacting society today,' Psaki said. 'And he believes, as I believe as a parent of children, that kids should learn about our history.'

She added, 'So as the spouse of an educator and as somebody who continues to believe that children should learn not just the good but also the challenging in our history, and that's part of what we're talking about here, even as it's become politically charged.'

Her comments came after the National Education Association calling for 'culturally responsive education, critical race theory and ethnic studies curriculum' to be taught from pre-K through 12th grade in schools across the country.

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Six states have banned the critical race theory and another dozen are considering passing similar resolutions