No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has five pledges from Gresham 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.
Comments from new Gresham teachers included “My students deserve to learn the truth and be empowered to be change makers.” and “The current history curriculum is not accurate, racist, sexist, stupid and WRONG!!”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Jenna Arnold | All peoples’ histories deserve and demand to be told. Truth is essential to understanding. |
| Ed Sage | I’m scared of people who are scared of being honest about our past. |
| Monica Stanley | All students deserve to know the truth. |
| Adrienne Friend | My students deserve to learn the truth and be empowered to be change makers. |
| Christine Johnson | The current history curriculum is not accurate, racist, sexist, stupid and WRONG!! |
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