No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has two pledges from Davis teachers by the end of the week ending Aug. 28.
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.
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. Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and South Dakota, have denounced the teachings without passing specific legislation.
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 |
|---|---|
| Tahnee Sweeney | “no comment” |
| Erica Siskind | I answer children's questions, purchase materials, and help teachers & parents find materials so they can understand the world we live in. To limit my access or the topics I might speak about with our patrons would undermine the mission of our organization. Telling teachers & librarians to lie to children will not succeed in covering up the truth of our history and our current circumstances. Those lies will not solve any of our problems; they will only make it harder to address the pain we are all feeling at the inequity in our country. |
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