No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has one pledge from Westland teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 15.
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 new Westland teacher wrote “We owe it to our young people to invite them into and provide supportive opportunities to speak from their experiences and understand the context that today's injustices are related to historical injustices. This is not about being unpatriotic, but rather shining a light on who we have been and are so that we can be better moving forward.” 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 |
|---|---|
| Diane Back | We owe it to our young people to invite them into and provide supportive opportunities to speak from their experiences and understand the context that today's injustices are related to historical injustices. This is not about being unpatriotic, but rather shining a light on who we have been and are so that we can be better moving forward. |
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