The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 24, the day before. It now has one pledge from Chesterfield teacher.
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 Chesterfield teacher wrote "students need to understand their role in society and what systems are in place that benefit some and restrict others, even if unintentionally. We need to learn from our past to move forward." 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 |
|---|---|
| Melanie Shedd | students need to understand their role in society and what systems are in place that benefit some and restrict others, even if unintentionally. We need to learn from our past to move forward. |
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