No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has two pledges from Moscow teachers by the end of the week ending Sep. 11.
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. 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 |
|---|---|
| Alexandra Teague | It's essential that we face the inequalities on which this country has been built--and by which it still operates--in order to understand (and ask meaningful questions about) how our laws and institutions and social structure operate, and how we might create a more just society. |
| Leontina Hormel | I am against the unconstitutional actions to censor dialog about US history and the country's dependence on settler colonialism, and the intersectional systems of oppression, including racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia. |
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