No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has two pledges from Marina teachers by the end of the week ending Feb. 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 Marina teachers included “This is not a theory. The fact that people (Bhagat Singh Thind, Takao Ozawa) had cases heard by the Supreme Court about whether or not they were white proves that definitions on race have changed over time in our country’s history but have always mattered a great deal. Teaching students the truth empowers them. We should be careful not to teach a “white guilt version” of history, but to focus on the agency of people of every ethnicity under systems that certainly did oppress them. To deny the truth is not to teach; to re-structure the historical narrative for our own convenience is the work of less democratic, less freedom-loving countries than our own. It is unconscionable that states are banning this.” and “Truth is all that matters!”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Nicola Williams | This is not a theory. The fact that people (Bhagat Singh Thind, Takao Ozawa) had cases heard by the Supreme Court about whether or not they were white proves that definitions on race have changed over time in our country’s history but have always mattered a great deal. Teaching students the truth empowers them. We should be careful not to teach a “white guilt version” of history, but to focus on the agency of people of every ethnicity under systems that certainly did oppress them. To deny the truth is not to teach; to re-structure the historical narrative for our own convenience is the work of less democratic, less freedom-loving countries than our own. It is unconscionable that states are banning this. |
| Dr. Ibrahim Shelton | Truth is all that matters! |
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