No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has two pledges from Madera teachers by the end of the week ending Feb. 12.
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 Madera teachers included “Students deserve the truth..” and “The whole point of a history class is discovery and understanding. Students must be given the freedom to discover the truth even if it is a hard one. When we censor students' learning we are essentially destroying our own American values of free speech/press, individualism, and liberty.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Stephanie Hamblen | The whole point of a history class is discovery and understanding. Students must be given the freedom to discover the truth even if it is a hard one. When we censor students' learning we are essentially destroying our own American values of free speech/press, individualism, and liberty. |
| Marisa Gutierrez | Students deserve the truth.. |
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