No new teachers in Newton sign pledge on Nov. 9 to teach Critical Race Theory

By North Wichita News

Nov 11, 2021

There were no new teachers in Newton who signed the pledge on Nov. 9, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by no teachers on Nov. 8, the day before. It now has seven pledges from Newton 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 Newton teachers included, "History doesn’t belong to just one group of people and it’s incredibly important to try and tell every group’s story" and "I am committed to helping young people understand how our country developed and how they can contribute to building a just and equitable society today. Being honest matters".

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 in Newton who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

Teachers	Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Allegra Atkinson	No comment
Amy Winston	No comment
Anne Carey	I am committed to helping young people understand how our country developed and how they can contribute to building a just and equitable society today. Being honest matters.
Danielle Johnson	I'm signing this pledge because my students deserve to understand the history of this country and the world to help contextualize and make sense of their real, lived experiences.
Harmony Gerlach	History doesn’t belong to just one group of people and it’s incredibly important to try and tell every group’s story.
Hope F.	Kids deserve the truth.
Roland Moffitt	No comment