The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 24, the day before. It now has 17 pledges from Lafayette 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 Lafayette teachers included, "No student's positionality should go without an education that provides critical analysis on historical awareness of a nation built through violently oppressed people, cultural eradication, settler colonialism, imperialism, and fascist nationalizing. U.S. politics actively work to rewrite history in the interest of exploitation. Failing to recognize histories of the oppressed creates a harmful continuum that works solely for exploitative benefit. This erasure of studies which highlight atrocities is telling of the inequality we see today. What sort of future is being created for the minds of tomorrow if we cannot educate students on the past that sculpted our present suffering and its embodied people?" and "Our district has used books based in Critical Race Theory like Ibram X. Kendi's How To Be Anti-Racist for student, staff, and parent book clubs, and implemented a race curriculum also based in CRT by Courageous Conversations. But hypocritically they also respond to parent complaints regarding race curriculum by threatening to discipline teachers and implement stricter oversight of curriculum, even when the curriculum is strictly in line with the district's courses of study. Educators need to be empowered, not disciplined or chilled, when they are on the front lines conducting these important conversations".
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 |
|---|---|
| Bryn Pennington | No comment |
| Cindy Aubuchon | No comment |
| Dennise Grater | No comment |
| Erik Honda | Our district has used books based in Critical Race Theory like Ibram X. Kendi's How To Be Anti-Racist for student, staff, and parent book clubs, and implemented a race curriculum also based in CRT by Courageous Conversations. But hypocritically they also respond to parent complaints regarding race curriculum by threatening to discipline teachers and implement stricter oversight of curriculum, even when the curriculum is strictly in line with the district's courses of study. Educators need to be empowered, not disciplined or chilled, when they are on the front lines conducting these important conversations. |
| Jacob Jansen | No student's positionality should go without an education that provides critical analysis on historical awareness of a nation built through violently oppressed people, cultural eradication, settler colonialism, imperialism, and fascist nationalizing. U.S. politics actively work to rewrite history in the interest of exploitation. Failing to recognize histories of the oppressed creates a harmful continuum that works solely for exploitative benefit. This erasure of studies which highlight atrocities is telling of the inequality we see today. What sort of future is being created for the minds of tomorrow if we cannot educate students on the past that sculpted our present suffering and its embodied people? |
| Jacob McIntyre | great teaching involves students using multiple perspectives to become great citizens. |
| Jeremy Bloyd | …it is time we truly have “liberty and justice for all.” Our students need to know the truths of our history as a nation. When we know better, we can do better! |
| Josh De Lon | I became a social studies teacher to create effective and engaged citizens who can grapple with history and current events with critical thinking and compassion. |
| Kacey Edgar | Our Children deserve the truth... all of the truth! |
| Leigh Tolley | We need to know about and try to understand all of history in order to learn how to be better people. |
| Martha Garner | We have lied to the children of America for too long, burying and distorting historical facts. We can never reckon with our past without facing the truth. |
| Megan Breaux | No comment |
| Monica Moran | No comment |
| Monika Weiss | All of my students matter and they need to know actual history, not the white washed eurocentric history people want |
| Shay Smith | History cannot be changed. Only learned from. |
| Toby Daspit | THE TRUTH ABOUT HISTORY SHOULD NOT BE WITHHELD! |
| Victoria Breakstone | I refuse to lie to young people about history and current events. I will not use curriculum that is incorrect about U.S. history. Children need to learn the history of the U.S. and the world so that it doesn’t repeat and the world becomes a better place. |
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