No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has one pledge from Springfield teachers by the end of the week ending Feb. 5.
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.
The new Springfield teacher wrote “I have been teaching Social Justice at my school for five years now. I believe that our students have the right to learn about the truth. The point of teaching is to teach our students to think for themselves using critical thinking.” when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Marie Keith | I have been teaching Social Justice at my school for five years now. I believe that our students have the right to learn about the truth. The point of teaching is to teach our students to think for themselves using critical thinking. |
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