Number of teachers pledging to teach Critical Race Theory in Springfield stagnates at 8 in June

By Springfield City Wire

Jul 11, 2022

There were no new teachers in Springfield who signed the pledge in June, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by eight teachers the month before. It now has eight pledges from Springfield teachers by June.

They are 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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.

Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.

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 Springfield who’ve pledged to teach Critical Race Theory

Teachers	Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Jonathan Swan	Teaching students the true history of the United States is the only way for them to understand how the uninterrupted, repetitive cycles of disinformation, violence, and racial oppression have shaped and reshaped this country into the Divided States of America.
Marie Keith	Our students need to know the truth!
Chris Trevethan	I am a teacher, an educator. I work with learners who make changes for the better. Teachers ought to help not hinder.
Melissa Bennett-Lafond	“no comment”
Diane Ghedi	It’s the right thing to do
Brenna Kane	My students deserve the truth. Unjust and racist laws will not stop me from educating my students and telling them the entire history of our country - good AND bad.
Gladys Franco	“no comment”
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.