The pledge was signed by one teacher the month before. It now has one pledge from Ash Grove 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 | Thoughts on Critical Race Theory |
|---|---|
| Melissa Blank | As a professional educator and historian for the past twenty years, I have always presented the facts to my students at the age appropriate level and with a sense of compassion and truth. I believe the second we do not address what truly happened to our country in its history, we no longer can appreciate the hard fought gains by all people of our country, whether white, black, Latino, or Indigenous. |
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