The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 4, the day before. It now has one pledge from Pismo Beach teacher.
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 Pismo Beach teacher wrote "I believe in preparing young people to have the critical conversations necessary to contribute to a just society. I believe any limitations put on teaching history undermine the very democracy this country was built upon. I believe that failure to prepare students for interacting with people who hold differing ideas and identities has led us to this current state of weakness in our country - weakness that is allowing supposed 'leaders' with autocratic goals to overtake the liberty and plain respect we all have a right to enjoy." 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 |
|---|---|
| Dr. Rosemary Wrenn | I believe in preparing young people to have the critical conversations necessary to contribute to a just society. I believe any limitations put on teaching history undermine the very democracy this country was built upon. I believe that failure to prepare students for interacting with people who hold differing ideas and identities has led us to this current state of weakness in our country - weakness that is allowing supposed 'leaders' with autocratic goals to overtake the liberty and plain respect we all have a right to enjoy. |
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