The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 23, the day before. It now has one pledge from Mondovi 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 Mondovi teacher wrote "I am a retired educator. I always taught my students to listen to others and to seek out all sides of an issue. Teaching students to think critically is a mainstay of education, whether it be public or private schools. If you want a country that does not value individual freedoms, go ahead and pass laws that restrict what you can teach from history. Will we burn books next?" 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 |
|---|---|
| Donald Mowry | I am a retired educator. I always taught my students to listen to others and to seek out all sides of an issue. Teaching students to think critically is a mainstay of education, whether it be public or private schools. If you want a country that does not value individual freedoms, go ahead and pass laws that restrict what you can teach from history. Will we burn books next? |
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