The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 5, the day before. It now has 19 pledges from Athens 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 Athens teachers included, "Teaching children the whole truth about the history of this country is incredibly important. It would be a disservice to the future of this country to not acknowledge the struggles that have happened throughout history. There are so many types of people, other than rich, white men, that make up this country. Refusing to acknowledge the diversity of this country is dishonest, one-sided, and boring" and "Learning the truth will help all of us, not the least of which are marginalized people, but White folks too will benefit. Being a member, or aspiring to be a member, of the oppressor class takes a social-emotional, mental health toll".
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 |
|---|---|
| Adam Keller | If the truth appears biased, perhaps that's your problem and the problem of the misinformation you're consuming? Young people deserve to know the good, the bad, and the ugly of our past in order to understand the present and improve the future. |
| Allie McCullen | No comment |
| Anna Gunnells | Teaching children the whole truth about the history of this country is incredibly important. It would be a disservice to the future of this country to not acknowledge the struggles that have happened throughout history. There are so many types of people, other than rich, white men, that make up this country. Refusing to acknowledge the diversity of this country is dishonest, one-sided, and boring. |
| Anna Traffanstedt | Truth should never be banned. |
| Beth Mendenhall | No comment |
| Christopher Wingett | I am not a bad person. |
| Denise Oglesby | Learning the truth will help all of us, not the least of which are marginalized people, but White folks too will benefit. Being a member, or aspiring to be a member, of the oppressor class takes a social-emotional, mental health toll. |
| Esther Hilliard | Teaching students the truth about our history and current inequities is the only way to address them and move forward towards our country’s great goal of equality for all. |
| Ivars Balkits | Education should not be propaganda but truth. |
| Jailenne Gil-Arroyo | Our kids deserve to know the whole truth. Our kids deserve to be critical thinkers and think for themselves. By not teaching kids about these important issues, we raise an ignorant generation and it erases any past/present efforts to overcome systemic racism/sexism/etc. |
| James Salzman | We are a great and imperfect country. Our aspirations are greater than our accomplishments to reach our aspirations, though, young people need to know the whole of our history so that they can be the change we need to be truly exceptional |
| John Schmieding | All of us, of every race, will have better lives if our relationships, organizations, and our country are rooted in an understanding of history and a commitment to learning. |
| Kerry Hogan | We must support teaching the truth. Without the ability to teach the truth, our democracy cannot stand, and this country will not live up to the Constitution's promise of "secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. |
| Mara Giglio | No comment |
| Megan Ogden | we will never heal until the truth is taught. Students deserve the truth. They deserve representation. They deserve teachers who understand the importance of advocacy and empathy. This all begins with teaching the entire story. |
| Nancy Knapp | Lying to students about anything, but especially the history of their own country and people, is just plain wrong. |
| Samantha Barnum | I believe in teaching truth. |
| Susanna Arnold | No comment |
| Tanya Hudson | No comment |
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