No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has three pledges from Vineland teachers by the end of the week ending April 9.
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 |
|---|---|
| Robert Imperato | Honesty needs to be taught to young people to help them understand the inequalities that many have experienced. Cannot candy coat history. Teaching the truth will hopefully help avoid repeating the same mistakes. |
| Shawn Riggins | “no comment” |
| Louis Russo | Students deserve to hear the full story and the factual truth about the history of our nation. Howard Zinn was inspirational to me and many others students. In his name, I will carry on with the teaching of history with full attention to all facets of our history. No child should receive an education in history that is short-circuited by politically biased propaganda. The truth is sometimes uncomfortable, but acknowledging it is essential. |
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