No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has five pledges from Laurel teachers by the end of the week ending Sep. 18.
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 Otte | our children cannot become responsible citizens of our world without learning about it - all of it, whether it's good or bad. History doesn't choose sides. |
| Daniel Grenier | I refuse to allow laws to obstruct teachers from educating students with the most current, accurate, and researched information. |
| Joshua Peters | We should never shy away from the truth. How can we raise young humans to become responsible adults if we do? It is important that our students know the entire truth, both the beautiful and ugly. |
| Farhana Shah | “no comment” |
| Princess'imani Dawson | “One has not only a legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” – Martin Luther King Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," April 1963 We, the undersigned educators, refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events. |
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