No new teachers in Raleigh sign pledge in week ending Aug. 21 to teach Critical Race Theory

By South Raleigh News

Aug 22, 2021

There were no new teachers in Raleigh who signed the pledge in week ending Aug. 21, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by one teacher the week before. It now has 12 pledges from Raleigh teachers by the end of the week ending Aug. 21.

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. 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 in Raleigh who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

Teachers	Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Thomas Nevels	“no comment”
Cherrelyn Napue	“no comment”
Stacy Eleczko	“no comment”
Callie Kirsch	Our students deserve to know the truth so they can be empowered to improve our world.
Karen Jones	“no comment”
Jim Argent	We can not stay silent and allow the truth to be washed away. Just as Germany teaches about Nazism, we too must teach of the atrocities that occurred in building this nation!
Monica McKinney	Lack of knowledge and narrow perspectives are dangerous for a democratic society.
Tamika Walker Kelly	I believe we owe it to our students and ourselves to teach the world accurately in order to give students the tools to dismantle errors of the past. We can have a better world but we must be willing to be courageous and truthful.
Jose Cruz	I believe in the truth about our history should be taught in the schools. No more covering it up or brushing under the carpet.
Monica Lane	“no comment”
Melinda King	Let's teach facts, not false idealogies.
Ken Simon	“no comment”