No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has one pledge from The Villages teachers by the end of the week ending Aug. 28.
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. 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 |
|---|---|
| Christina Byers | I love America. But I cannot in good conscience pretend that there aren't some terribly awful sides to our history. If you want your country to be the best, it has be honest about its history--talk about the good and the bad. I want my students to be proud to be Americans but also understand that we are not perfect, and we have a long way to get there. |
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