No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has one pledge from Byron Center teachers by the end of the week ending March 12.
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 Byron Center teacher wrote “If we continue to pretend racism does not exists, then hate and violence will continue in our society. If we don’t talk about the past we cannot change the future. One political party is controlling the education system and the rhetoric and it will damage the public education for students learning history and the truth. We should not be suppressing history even if it’s painful.” 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. 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 |
|---|---|
| Michelle Elizondo | If we continue to pretend racism does not exists, then hate and violence will continue in our society. If we don’t talk about the past we cannot change the future. One political party is controlling the education system and the rhetoric and it will damage the public education for students learning history and the truth. We should not be suppressing history even if it’s painful. |
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