The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has eight pledges from Denver teachers.
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 Denver teachers included, "Racism is wrong. Truth telling is about Justice, truth telling is about modeling right action as an educator, and finally, truth telling is about me!" and "Supressing true history is dangerous to everyone".
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 |
|---|---|
| Alex Ryckman | No comment |
| Amanda Cameron | No comment |
| Eliza Eaton-Stern | My students of color deserve not to be lied to about their own lived experiences. My white students deserve me treating them like they aren’t too fragile to hear about things our ancestors did. And all my students deserve my unflinching honesty about the world we live in and the past that led us here. |
| Elizabeth Winslow | Racism is wrong. Truth telling is about Justice, truth telling is about modeling right action as an educator, and finally, truth telling is about me! |
| Maya Thieme | I cannot lie to my students who look to me as a trusted adult |
| Randi Dietz | Supressing true history is dangerous to everyone |
| Staci Dugan | No comment |
| Tina Valtierra | I am committed to preparing fierce culturally sustaining educators who foster liberatory spaces. Moreover, I am committed to the many P-12 educators I partner with who are dedicated to social justice. |
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