The pledge was signed by no teachers on Nov. 17, 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, "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" and "History doesn’t belong to just one group of people and it’s incredibly important to try and tell every group’s story".
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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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