The pledge was signed by one teacher the week before. It now has three pledges from Stamford teachers by the end of the week ending March 19.
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. 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 |
|---|---|
| Monica Lahiri-Hoherchak | Having an 'educated citizenry' is a professed core value of our democracy. Our students deserve to know the facts, the truth: both positive, negative, and yet to be fully understood; not a whitewashed story of American exceptionality. |
| Zoe Harris | I believe in empowering my students through relating to their culture, identity, and experiences. My role as a teacher is not to only teach them music, but teach them about how to be a good person, develop relationship with others, and make good decisions. Critical race theory, if taught right, should be a way to empower students and help them think critically about situations they find themselves in. |
| Nan Frydland | Teachers need complete freedom to find materials that reflect the truth in order to help learners become good citizens. |
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