The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 31, the day before. It now has two pledges from Weaverville 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 Weaverville teachers included, "This is critically important" and "Our children deserve to know the truth about our history. Knowing the truth not only helps them know about who they are, why and how we got where we are today, but also helps build their moral compass to make strong decisions today and in the future".
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 |
---|---|
Kathryn Millar | This is critically important. |
Tiffanie Pope | Our children deserve to know the truth about our history. Knowing the truth not only helps them know about who they are, why and how we got where we are today, but also helps build their moral compass to make strong decisions today and in the future. |