The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 19, the day before. It now has one pledge from Midland Park 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 Midland Park teacher wrote "Students need to understand all of our history, not just a censored collection of facts. The messy parts of our history are important to wrestle with in order to move toward a more egalitarian society. Diverse stories must be included for students to understand the nuance in the collective experience. We are a product of our history - all of it." 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 |
|---|---|
| Christine Wallace | Students need to understand all of our history, not just a censored collection of facts. The messy parts of our history are important to wrestle with in order to move toward a more egalitarian society. Diverse stories must be included for students to understand the nuance in the collective experience. We are a product of our history - all of it. |
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