The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 21, the day before. It now has two pledges from Shoreline 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 Shoreline teachers included, "I believe in truth!" and "We must speak the truth and teach our students to be critical thinkers. We must analyze our past and the systems of power and oppression that were built, to then think about the current reality of injustice and inequalities. We need to embrace our collective history to move towards building a future where all people can experience justice and freedom. Students need to learn and grow in their understanding of themselves, their narratives and the narratives of groups that have been left out or marginalized in our curriculum and educational system. Reckoning with our collective history we can move to a space of healing and full humanity for all".
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 |
|---|---|
| Amy McClellan | I believe in truth! |
| Amy McClellan | We must speak the truth and teach our students to be critical thinkers. We must analyze our past and the systems of power and oppression that were built, to then think about the current reality of injustice and inequalities. We need to embrace our collective history to move towards building a future where all people can experience justice and freedom. Students need to learn and grow in their understanding of themselves, their narratives and the narratives of groups that have been left out or marginalized in our curriculum and educational system. Reckoning with our collective history we can move to a space of healing and full humanity for all. |
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