The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 7, the day before. It now has five pledges from Detroit 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 Detroit teachers included, "I feel that it is important to teach the truth" and "It is ethically and educationally irresponsible for any teacher to be expected to teach a white washed version of the truth. Our children deserve to k ow all facets of our history. It is the only way to effect positive change in our history that has yet to be made".
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 |
|---|---|
| Hugh Jass | I feel that it is important to teach the truth |
| Jen McMillan | No comment |
| Nathaniel Ketcham | No comment |
| Paul Thebert | I will not lie to my students to maintain white privilege. Growth rarely happens in comfort. |
| Shauna Williams | It is ethically and educationally irresponsible for any teacher to be expected to teach a white washed version of the truth. Our children deserve to k ow all facets of our history. It is the only way to effect positive change in our history that has yet to be made. |
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