No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has five pledges from Issaquah teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 15.
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 new Issaquah teachers included “Equity, fairness, and community are key personal values for me.” and “So much of the "real" history of this country has been minimized, hidden, obscured. I want our youth to learn our true history long before the age that I was when I began to.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Rodney Harris | I stand in solidarity with my fellow educators who are being silenced.! |
| Cindy Gross | Equity, fairness, and community are key personal values for me. |
| Alicia Williams | “no comment” |
| Debbie Blane | So much of the "real" history of this country has been minimized, hidden, obscured. I want our youth to learn our true history long before the age that I was when I began to. |
| Heather Nelson | the truth matters. |
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