No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has eight pledges from Colorado Springs 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.
The new Colorado Springs teacher wrote “Silence and not teaching truth is immoral. We can't move forward in a better way until we acknowledge the truth of our past.” when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Stephanie Barron | This is a start to systemic change concerning racism! |
| Meghan Leroux | It is important that students know the truth about our nation's history and understand the many perspectives from our history. |
| Todd Craig | The truth will set you free. |
| David Benson | “no comment” |
| James Gregg | Continuing to teach a white washed narrative is doing nothing but continuing a hurtful false good that will do nothing but continue to negatively impact future generations. |
| Dwanna McKay | “no comment” |
| Jane Murphy | “no comment” |
| Kim Miller | Silence and not teaching truth is immoral. We can't move forward in a better way until we acknowledge the truth of our past. |
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