No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has three pledges from Springfield teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 15.
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 Springfield teachers included “Truth matters. We can only learn to be better by knowing our true past. We can only understand each other if we are honest about our own history.” and “I believe in transparency, truth, and justice. If not now, when?”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Dana Edwards | it's the right thing to do. |
| Michelle Phillips | Truth matters. We can only learn to be better by knowing our true past. We can only understand each other if we are honest about our own history. |
| Ingrid Kamphaus | I believe in transparency, truth, and justice. If not now, when? |
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