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 Holyoke teachers included, "Hiding the truth from our students only hurts us as a society more. We need to prepare our students for the world and part of that is teaching them the truth of how our world came to be as it is now" and "I cannot countenance lying to my students".
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 |
|---|---|
| Jennifer Onopa | No comment |
| Lexie Goodrow | Hiding the truth from our students only hurts us as a society more. We need to prepare our students for the world and part of that is teaching them the truth of how our world came to be as it is now. |
| Mark Clinton | I cannot countenance lying to my students. |
| Mary Brazeau | My peers in 21 states face imminent threats to their livelihood by being asked to redact unpleasant history. This affects how we teach literature and Literacy. This affects our relationship to students. We will not lie to our students. |
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