The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 19, the day before. It now has three pledges from Mission 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 Mission teachers included, "Because my students deserve to know where they come from, both good and bad. Because the youth of today is the future, and they cannot build a better future if they are constantly repeating the mistakes of the past.Because I see my students of color sit in a classroom and read from a book that does not reflect the difficulties of their ancestors and ignores the difficulties they face in the present.Because history shouldn't be political or opinions, it should be the truth - THE WHOLE TRUTH" and "We can't prevent future oppression if we don't understand the past and help the next generation understand how to stop it in its many forms".
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 |
|---|---|
| Collin Lajoie | No comment |
| Milady Maldonado | Because my students deserve to know where they come from, both good and bad. Because the youth of today is the future, and they cannot build a better future if they are constantly repeating the mistakes of the past.Because I see my students of color sit in a classroom and read from a book that does not reflect the difficulties of their ancestors and ignores the difficulties they face in the present.Because history shouldn't be political or opinions, it should be the truth - THE WHOLE TRUTH. |
| Trish Madsen | We can't prevent future oppression if we don't understand the past and help the next generation understand how to stop it in its many forms. |
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