No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has three pledges from Lakewood teachers by the end of the week ending April 9.
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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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” |
| 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). |
| Kevin Guenzi | Truth is easier to explain than lies are to defend. |
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