The pledge was signed by nine teachers the month before. It now has nine pledges from Lake Oswego 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 |
|---|---|
| Brady Bennon | Students deserve to know the truth so that our society can grapple with ways to make the world more just, equitable, and fair. We cannot get there by burying our history. |
| Leticia Cortinas | We teach our children not to lie. We shouldn't lie to them either. It's time to teach the truth and speak truth to power always. |
| Breck Foster | Education is the answer to so many of our societal problems, and without teaching the history of systemic racism in the United States, we would not be equipping our young people with the knowledge they need to truly understand why we are where we are now as a nation, and to help be problem-solvers and change-makers to help build a more just country. We are at a tipping point in a collective consciousness around our past and we cannot go backward. |
| Kathy Lloyd | I refuse to lie about US History. |
| Jazelle Prado-Domingo | “no comment” |
| Aine Dooley | “no comment” |
| Amanda Lyon | “no comment” |
| Cybele Candau | It’s essential to know real history in order to learn and do better. Pretending like atrocities haven’t happened doesn’t erase their existence or the generational trauma they’ve created. |
| Karen Hoppes | Failure to teach historical truth leads to unthinking citizens with an inability to fight to protect their rights. |
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