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 Glendale teachers included, "... the truth is worth more than the $5,000 fine the State of Arizona wants to slap on me if I allow my students to become critical thinkers. Students need to see themselves in our nation's history. Sometimes that history is uncomfortable, but acknowledging this serves to support culturally sensitive teaching" and "We must work to raise a generation of critical thinkers, kind humans, and people who actively try to make the world a better place. It starts by teaching the truth, even if it is not the truth some may want to be told".
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 |
|---|---|
| Carlos Velazquez | No comment |
| Craig Lewis | I believe in Educating for American Democracy. I believe that systemic oppression is real, that the threat to voting rights and democracy is real, and that telling the stories that have not been told, or not been told well is my responsibility. |
| Deanna Bakker | We must work to raise a generation of critical thinkers, kind humans, and people who actively try to make the world a better place. It starts by teaching the truth, even if it is not the truth some may want to be told. |
| Electra Stafford | Justice Begins With Speaking The Truth. |
| Erin Chisholm | ... the truth is worth more than the $5,000 fine the State of Arizona wants to slap on me if I allow my students to become critical thinkers. Students need to see themselves in our nation's history. Sometimes that history is uncomfortable, but acknowledging this serves to support culturally sensitive teaching. |
| Galindo Jack | No comment |
| Jamie Prichard | The truth is SO IMPORTANT!! This country has done enough damage to ourselves by literally whitewashing our history. It’s time to set history straight with the ugly truth of racism in this country. |
| Kari Vargas | Students, all students, deserve to know their entire history. Only by acknowledging our racist and harmful past can we move past it to a better, more inclusive future. |
| Lisa Cantella | My students deserve the truth and our country can do better. |
| Maggie Malone | truth matters. |
| Melanie Cobos | No comment |
| Nick Friedman | No comment |
| Rachel Schmidt | our teachers and students deserve better. |
| Romy Griepp | My life's work is to challenge systems of oppression, destabilize authoritarianism, and stand witness to and empower marginalized narratives. I refuse to cede my classroom to antedeluvian policy makers, bureaucrats, or institutions. |
| Valerie Sun | In order to address systemic racism in our country, we need to talk about the system that first created this oppression. |
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