No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has five pledges from Concord teachers by the end of the week ending Aug. 21.
They’re one of the thousands of US teachers pledging to continue educating students about the controversial Critical Race Theory, which explains racism is embedded in US culture and politics.
Though the concept was first suggested in the late 70’s, it has recently exploded as a contentious issue between the American right and left in the last two years.
Many who signed the pledge are defying state bans on the teachings. Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and South Dakota, have denounced the teachings without passing specific legislation.
In an interview with The Washington Free Beacon, Ashley Varner of the Freedom Foundation accused the Zinn Education Project of providing “left-leaning propaganda to teachers.”
| Teachers | Thoughts on Critical Race Theory |
|---|---|
| Rebecca Dell | Knowing the truth about history is critical to understanding our present and creating a positive future. |
| Kimberly Leyden | I believe it is very important to teach students the truth. They need to be taught what actually happened and how to think critically. |
| Tova Moore | “no comment” |
| Aubrey Perry | It is our duty as educators and as ethical, engaged citizens to tell the truth and to stand up for what is right and for those we teach. |
| Antoinette Sperske | Teaching hard history to students in all k-12 schools across the country is the ONLY way to begin to correct the racism that has been our collective history. You cannot hide the truth about our ugly business -- GOP. Knock it off! It's not 1925 -- are you ready for another Scopes Trial. Here we go! |
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