The pledge was signed by no teachers on Nov. 27, the day before. It now has 17 pledges from Concord teachers.
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.
Comments from Concord teachers included, "Without the freedom to teach the truth, face our history and understand the most troubling parts of our past, we can not move forward, heal, repair and bring justice to all" and "Our continued reticence to acknowledge our history contributes to the ongoing systemic racism that has become a defining characteristic of this country. To not teach the truth—that this country was built by slave labor on stolen land by still-disenfranchised populations—is a disservice to our shared history, our collective future, and our children's education".
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 |
|---|---|
| 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! |
| 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. |
| Bryan Shaw | Teaching the complexity of history is worth the clap back. |
| Carisa Corrow | Racism hurts everybody, including white folks like me, my ancestors and my children. We can't have justice for all if we don't face the truth together. |
| Carolee Barber | The truth is essential! |
| Cassidy John | No comment |
| Christie Cho | Our continued reticence to acknowledge our history contributes to the ongoing systemic racism that has become a defining characteristic of this country. To not teach the truth—that this country was built by slave labor on stolen land by still-disenfranchised populations—is a disservice to our shared history, our collective future, and our children's education. |
| Cindy Falabella | I believe in equal rights for all. |
| Heather Ouellette-Cygan | This is an unjust law. Unjust laws must be broken. Also, it is immoral and irresponsible not to teach the truth. It is the only way to enact change for a better world for all. |
| Jeremiah Mead | As a retired teacher, I wish to express my support for active educators who are committed to open discussion of history and social conditions, and to curricula and methods that foster such discussion. |
| 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. |
| Rebecca Dell | Knowing the truth about history is critical to understanding our present and creating a positive future. |
| Ryan Buchanan | Whitewashing history does not change the harm our pasted actions has caused. |
| Susan Lewis | We must teach students accurate and honest history and current affairs. |
| Tova Moore | No comment |
| Tracie Dunn | No comment |
| Whitney Howarth | Without the freedom to teach the truth, face our history and understand the most troubling parts of our past, we can not move forward, heal, repair and bring justice to all. |
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