No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has four pledges from Redlands 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 Redlands teachers included “I believe that our children are capable of building a better future, but that means being honest about our history and present.” and “We cannot whitewash our history. It is possible to teach history honestly.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Nancy Glenn | “no comment” |
| Melanie Knypstra | I believe that our children are capable of building a better future, but that means being honest about our history and present. |
| Kirsten O'Brien | Real teaching demands truth. Anything less than the truth is indoctrination, and our students need the truth to build a better world. |
| Monica Garcia | We cannot whitewash our history. It is possible to teach history honestly. |
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