The pledge was signed by one teacher on Feb. 4, the day before. It now has five pledges from Baltimore 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 Baltimore teachers included, "I am a follower of Jesus and I believe that to follow Jesus is to recognize and confront the effects of sin both on an individual and institutional level. I believe that the pervasiveness of racism in our society is damaging for everyone. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to teach truth which has the power to bring freedom and healing" and "I will not lie to my students about the impacts of society. My students come from every background. They already know that their race, sexuality, gender, etc. affect them. I will not be a part of lying to them".
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 |
|---|---|
| Apryl Lannigan | I always have and always will teach the truth |
| Ariana Justice | I will not lie to my students about the impacts of society. My students come from every background. They already know that their race, sexuality, gender, etc. affect them. I will not be a part of lying to them. |
| Azure Kline | I am a follower of Jesus and I believe that to follow Jesus is to recognize and confront the effects of sin both on an individual and institutional level. I believe that the pervasiveness of racism in our society is damaging for everyone. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to teach truth which has the power to bring freedom and healing. |
| David Watson | Education should be devoted to teaching the truth regardless of whether one agrees or doesn't feel comfortable with the story we teach. History is His-story, but typically written by the "winners." History should be taught from the perspectives of ALL..."winners" and "losers" so that students can get all information needed to form their own values and opinions based on those values. |
| Margaret Mitchell | No comment |
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