The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 11, the day before. It now has three pledges from Vashon 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 Vashon teachers included, "For far too long students have been denied the full, complex, and complicated story of the United States. Learning is about grappling with multiple perspectives and understanding that democracy is an ongoing struggle over power, expanding democratic rights and freedoms for all means understanding the denial of those for many. If we do not teach the full truth: that this country has always been founded on dispossession of Native Americans, slavery, structural racism, oppression, and related degradation of the planet, students will not learn be actors in the world with the necessary tools to build coalitions with others humans, and all living beings on our planet, in creating a just present and future" and "I join my colleagues in holding to the fundamental importance of teaching to equip young people to understand history in order to better prepare them to imagine, believe in and work toward a more just, sustainable and humane system of governance and social policies for the good of all. The complicity of silence and the censoring of truthful teaching delivered in a fair, age-appropriate manner stunt this possibility and further degrade our fragile democracy. This is a dangerous move and ultimately harmful to learning and to the well-being of our country".
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 |
|---|---|
| Anneliese Steuben-Maiye | I will never stop teaching for justice, equity, and anti-racism! |
| Jen Lindsay | For far too long students have been denied the full, complex, and complicated story of the United States. Learning is about grappling with multiple perspectives and understanding that democracy is an ongoing struggle over power, expanding democratic rights and freedoms for all means understanding the denial of those for many. If we do not teach the full truth: that this country has always been founded on dispossession of Native Americans, slavery, structural racism, oppression, and related degradation of the planet, students will not learn be actors in the world with the necessary tools to build coalitions with others humans, and all living beings on our planet, in creating a just present and future. |
| Merna Ann Hecht | I join my colleagues in holding to the fundamental importance of teaching to equip young people to understand history in order to better prepare them to imagine, believe in and work toward a more just, sustainable and humane system of governance and social policies for the good of all. The complicity of silence and the censoring of truthful teaching delivered in a fair, age-appropriate manner stunt this possibility and further degrade our fragile democracy. This is a dangerous move and ultimately harmful to learning and to the well-being of our country. |
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