The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 2, the day before. It now has three pledges from Lakewood 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 Lakewood teachers included, "“Because there is a war going on that the poor can’t win”" and "It is important that we teach students to think critically and to understand the past that we share. It is important to help create thoughtful, critical thinkers to ask questions and dig into areas that make us all feel uncomfortable (and to do so with scholarly rigor and insight)".
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 |
|---|---|
| Jamison Kelleher | “Because there is a war going on that the poor can’t win” |
| Kevin Guenzi | Truth is easier to explain than lies are to defend. |
| Rebecca Leber-Gottberg | It is important that we teach students to think critically and to understand the past that we share. It is important to help create thoughtful, critical thinkers to ask questions and dig into areas that make us all feel uncomfortable (and to do so with scholarly rigor and insight). |
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