The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 10, the day before. It now has 15 pledges from Raleigh 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 Raleigh teachers included, "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" and "Lack of knowledge and narrow perspectives are dangerous for a democratic society".
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 |
|---|---|
| Callie Kirsch | Our students deserve to know the truth so they can be empowered to improve our world. |
| Cherrelyn Napue | No comment |
| Danny Doucette | Even in the sciences (especially in the sciences!) students need to know about the complex and unjust underpinnings of modern American society. |
| Jennifer Gallagher | 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! |
| John Hedlund | No comment |
| 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. |
| Karen Jones | No comment |
| Ken Simon | No comment |
| Melinda King | Let's teach facts, not false idealogies. |
| Monica Lane | No comment |
| Monica McKinney | Lack of knowledge and narrow perspectives are dangerous for a democratic society. |
| Stacy Eleczko | No comment |
| 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. |
| Thomas Nevels | No comment |
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