The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 20, the day before. It now has two pledges from Fair Lawn 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 Fair Lawn teachers included, "my students deserve a shot at understanding, questioning, and demanding change for their futures" and "I will not promote myths and lies about what happens in this country. If people are so worried about how the future will view them, they should take that into account before they act".
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 Truscello | my students deserve a shot at understanding, questioning, and demanding change for their futures. |
| Dan Ferat | I will not promote myths and lies about what happens in this country. If people are so worried about how the future will view them, they should take that into account before they act. |
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