No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has two pledges from Enumclaw teachers by the end of the week ending April 9.
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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Melanie McKenzie | All generations deserve to be taught the truth about our history and not teaching or distorting the truth does irreparable damage to our society and world. We need to do better to ensure a more equitable, inclusive, non systematic racism in our country. |
| Jason Mertz | As a teacher, white man, descendant of European immigrants and father of two, it is vital we help our students understand the many issues we face as Americans today, by giving students the honest truth of the past, so students can make educated choices about our future. I proudly use Zinn Education Project materials in my classroom and recommend them for all teachers. |
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