No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has 36 pledges from Louisville teachers by the end of the week ending March 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 Louisville teachers included “Understanding the truth about our country and our society allows us to better understand ourselves. All of our students deserve to thrive and know these truths, and we, as educators, deserve the right to disseminate and facilitate them.” and “Students need to understand the social factors that shaped our histories in order to understand those histories and deal with contemporary problems of inequality.”.
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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Shashray McCormack | Im giving myself, Permission to be BRILLIANT be speaking truth to power! |
| Greg Tichenor | we must move beyond the oppressive systems that prevent us from recognizing the humanity of everyone. |
| Corinne Martin | The truth matters. Black lives matter. |
| Shelley Thomas | To fight ignorance |
| Kelly Kinahan | “no comment” |
| David Horvath | Education requires that we teach ALL history in our schools, whether or not it makes some people uncomfortable or not. We learn, know better, and do better. |
| Dennis Cornell | “no comment” |
| Erica Brown | “no comment” |
| Kellye Cunningham | “no comment” |
| Ivonne Rovira | these bills CLAIM they don't want anyone to teach that one race is superior to another; however, the bills erase every part of history that's not exclusively white. That proves that the real point of the bill is to teach that European-Americans were -- and, most importantly, continue to be -- the most important thread in this country's history. |
| Katie Weible | Truth matters |
| Sheila Rivers | Enough U.S. history is denied already, so why deny students of the entire knowledge of slavery. It did happen and it’s fact. Stop burying that that makes white folks uncomfortable or well forever be forced to deal with racism. |
| James Miller | “no comment” |
| Tim Hargesheimer | “no comment” |
| Troy Petrie | The fact is, the truth is largely ignored in our Social Studies classrooms. While supporters of this legislation see it as a remedy to some form of perversion of our national narratives, they're really just a white supremacists prophylactic. |
| Amia Bridgeford | “no comment” |
| Aletha Fields | “no comment” |
| Abigaiut Palof | “no comment” |
| Shirletta Kinchen | I do not support the erasure of historical truths |
| Jessica Anderson | I did not begin learning the truth about our nation's history until college. We owe it to our students and our society to teach a more full and honest picture of our history. This is necessary in order for us to heal and move forward. |
| Catherine Hatcher | “no comment” |
| Allison Ojeda | I am not afraid to teach the “hard” topics. It’s time. Our kids deserve better - they deserve the truth. |
| Michelle Munizaga | It is my civic duty to all students to teach and speak truth. |
| Helen Turner | I want our future to know our true history in order to prevent similar things from happening again. Knowledge is POWER |
| Diane Pecknold | Students deserve to know the full truth. |
| Jessica Cresseveur | College is not just about "career training." It is also about shaping conscientious citizens who can and should make positive change regardless of which career field they choose. I want my students to know the complete story of American (and global) history, no matter how disturbing that history is. As the old saying warns, those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. Likewise, those who know about the past can analyze the mistakes of our ancestors and use that information to create a truly just world. |
| Sarah Tarutani | “no comment” |
| Cortnee Gray | My whole life I’ve been dedicated to truth and justice and education. I feel like you can not have one without the others and education is the role I was born for. It’s my goal to always install truth and justice and all the tools needed to educate the world. The truth should never be repressed or taken away and all students deserve an opportunity to have the most authentic learning experience possible. |
| Cate Fosl | Accurate histories of racism and the struggle against it, as well as other social justice issues, are pitifully lacking in most K-12 classrooms and even in some university settings. |
| Kim Sorise | Understanding the truth about our country and our society allows us to better understand ourselves. All of our students deserve to thrive and know these truths, and we, as educators, deserve the right to disseminate and facilitate them. |
| Chanda Fowler | I can't do my job ethically otherwise. I owe it to my students and to my children to teach the truth. |
| Brandon Riddle | Students need to understand the social factors that shaped our histories in order to understand those histories and deal with contemporary problems of inequality. |
| John Brewer | I believe in the work you are doing and wholly support the teaching of narratives that center human dignity and decenter sanitized history that does not advance the species. |
| Trinidad Jackson | White supremacy cannot continue to reign. Silence is violence, and we must oppose oppressive chains that are perpetually attacking our very existence. |
| Bethany Olson | We cannot begin to dismantle a racist system that we refuse to acknowledge. |
| Bethany Olson | “no comment” |
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