The pledge was signed by 11 teachers the week before. It now has 11 pledges from Glendale teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 22.
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.
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 |
|---|---|
| Galindo Jack | “no comment” |
| Craig Lewis | I believe in Educating for American Democracy. I believe that systemic oppression is real, that the threat to voting rights and democracy is real, and that telling the stories that have not been told, or not been told well is my responsibility. |
| Romy Griepp | My life's work is to challenge systems of oppression, destabilize authoritarianism, and stand witness to and empower marginalized narratives. I refuse to cede my classroom to antedeluvian policy makers, bureaucrats, or institutions. |
| Carlos Velazquez | “no comment” |
| Kari Vargas | Students, all students, deserve to know their entire history. Only by acknowledging our racist and harmful past can we move past it to a better, more inclusive future. |
| Maggie Malone | truth matters. |
| Valerie Sun | In order to address systemic racism in our country, we need to talk about the system that first created this oppression. |
| Jamie Prichard | The truth is SO IMPORTANT!! This country has done enough damage to ourselves by literally whitewashing our history. It’s time to set history straight with the ugly truth of racism in this country. |
| Electra Stafford | Justice Begins With Speaking The Truth. |
| Deanna Bakker | We must work to raise a generation of critical thinkers, kind humans, and people who actively try to make the world a better place. It starts by teaching the truth, even if it is not the truth some may want to be told. |
| Nick Friedman | “no comment” |
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