No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has one pledge from Baltimore teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 15.
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 Baltimore teacher wrote “Not teaching history accurately or teaching current events will significantly skew perspectives of students. I teach in a school that is over 50% Black and there are increasing calls to teach about more accurate history and not whitewashed history. This will do the opposite of this.” 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 |
|---|---|
| Erin Stevens | Not teaching history accurately or teaching current events will significantly skew perspectives of students. I teach in a school that is over 50% Black and there are increasing calls to teach about more accurate history and not whitewashed history. This will do the opposite of this. |
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