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No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has one pledge from Petersburg 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 |
|---|---|
| Patty Smith | Teaching the true history of the US is critical. Our job as teachers isn't to deposit information to our students -- it isn't about propaganda or creating a false narrative about how great this country is. Our job is to help students discover who they are and what they believe--- and for that, they need to know the TRUE history of where we came from and how we got to where we are. |
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