The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 12, the day before. It now has four pledges from Clayton 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 Clayton teachers included, "This fight is for democracy!" and "I became a teacher to help students understand our society and it’s place in the world and that requires honesty about who we are and where we come from".
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 |
|---|---|
| Crystal Hardison | This fight is for democracy! |
| Jeanie Aday | We teach from primary documents, where you cannot deny the truth. We no longer hide behind propagandist textbooks that most state legislators grew up reading. Stop the brainwashing. Teach the truth now. |
| Linsay Osos | As an educator it is my duty to teach students the truth. They will not be equipped for the challenges of this world by being spoon fed information that makes them comfortable. To improve our world we must face its history and the difficult truths it entails. |
| Linsay Osos | I became a teacher to help students understand our society and it’s place in the world and that requires honesty about who we are and where we come from. |
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