The pledge was signed by one teacher the week before. It now has 19 pledges from Tacoma teachers by the end of the week ending Sept. 4.
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.
The new Tacoma teacher wrote “It is vitally important that we teach historical and present truth to help our young people develop critical minds and eyes in an effort to strengthen their individual and collective agency for substantive systematic transformation.” when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Kelly Drake | “no comment” |
| Kristin Johnson | “no comment” |
| Jodi Kreidler | “no comment” |
| John Huffstetler | ...the lies cannot continue. They are poisonous to those who consume them and toxic to our whole world. |
| Casey Silbaugh | I will teach truth and stand up for my 1st amendment right to speak freely. |
| Katie Weichert | I refuse to uphold systems of oppression in my history classroom. |
| Kari Vadixx | My role is to educate my kids with the truth, even when...no, especially when it is uncomfortable. We cannot move forward until we all understand and face our history. |
| Patricia Smith | Healing requires that we tell the truth |
| Kayla Frank | I love all of my students and refuse to lie to them. They deserve to learn the truth, to expand their critical thinking skills, develop their own styles of activism, and to pursue a more just world. |
| Michelle Conway | Teaching the truth is essential to change. "If not me then who?" We can no longer stand by and allow ignorance to be our excuse for our intolerance. |
| Margaret Buck | These bills are directly in conflict with the purpose of education. |
| Lisa Hutchinson | I believe society is harmed by maintaining a false and unjust representation of U S history in our school curricula. |
| Amy Cole | “no comment” |
| Kelly Latimer | “no comment” |
| Anna S. | <3 |
| Lea Kelley | My students deserve the truth. |
| Kelly Latimer | all of my students benefit from and deserve to learn, know, and analyze our history from all experiences and perspectives within factual and historical truth. |
| Emily Thuma | “no comment” |
| Demetricia Hodges | It is vitally important that we teach historical and present truth to help our young people develop critical minds and eyes in an effort to strengthen their individual and collective agency for substantive systematic transformation. |
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