San Diego City Wire

There were no new teachers in San Diego who signed the pledge in week ending March 19, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.

The pledge was signed by 22 teachers the week before. It now has 53 pledges from San Diego teachers by the end of the week ending March 19.

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. 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
Lorna Zukas	Fascism is unacceptable.
Natalie Williams	School needs to focus on building students to be the future. Not what society says they need their future to look like. Students need to focus on what matters most and leave politics out. They already have so much they do in a day and they don't need peoples opinions of this stuff in schools. Passing this will only add to more issues in school where they don't belong, especially with kids learning who they are.
Alexa Henderson	My truth matters. My students’ truth matters.
Jennifer Martin	Black history and truth matter to me and telling the truth is integral to education.
Noemi S.	Teaching history and discussing current events are opportunities for students to learn about themselves, their communities, helping others and that equality is a right they have and can fight for when needed. It’s important that all students, especially students of color learn about abolitionists, unionizers, and other POC leaders to see themselves as not just oppressed but as change makers. I love my students and want to teach them about kindness, standing up for themselves and for others. Teaching history is a great way to do so.
Michele Janette	We need to ensure our children grow up knowing the truth of our nation's history from multiple perspectives.
Lily Smith	This is necessary and needs to happen now. CRT needs to be in school's it is and should be considered a fundamental right to education and one of the key steps to a healthier, more equitable, accountability, better society
Marea Sharpe	Our students deserve the truth.
Marea Sharpe	Students deserve the truth.
Sarah Millhoff	“no comment”
Liz Pappas	“no comment”
Jessica Barlow	“no comment”
Carolyn Sanders	I will not edit herhistory for my students. I will tell them exactly what happened. To understand and empathize, they need to hear the TRUTH.
Alyssa Wallace	“no comment”
Andrew Zafuto	We must teach a complete perspective in various subjects, so much so that we examine both the atrocities AND the triumphs of the human condition as they relate to the movement of humans across our planet over time.
Terresa Jones	Our children need to be told and have a full understanding and context of the truth of our history. We do them a tragic disservice by omitting or glossing over reality. They want the truth and they do know when they are being lied to. Our failure to acknowledge truth creates cognitive dissonance and erosion of human integrity and kindness that without which, we cannot heal ourselves, each other, and our world.
Kara Susvilla	“no comment”
Michanne Hoctor-Thompson	We must name it to face it before we can do something about it.
Richelle Jurasek	“no comment”
Christy Johnston	“no comment”
Danny Baza Blas	I will not stand to be intimidated to do my profession.
Adina Sobo	Students deserve to know that biology does not work the way conservative, far-right members of the legislature claim it works. They are wrong about race, sexual identity, sexual preference, how women’s reproductive organs work, global climate change, the need for regulations and oversight for pollution, and many other things.
Molly Sterner	This is absolutely disgusting. I currently teach about white supremacy and colonialism in my third-grade classroom.......And will continue to do so!
María Teresa Harris	If I am not truthful with my students I am disrespecting them. I will not do that. I
Raquel De Hoyos	The truth is the only way to explain our present. Black people deserve better. By understanding our county’s true history we can begin to understand how to better accomplish this.
Paula Annicchiarico	History is truth. Facts are truth. It's important to know the truth so we can learn from it to build a more perfect Union. White Supremacy does not want Democracy For The People. White-washing the truth will never help this world.
Margaret Egler	History needs to tell the full story of our attempts and our failures to create a multi racial democracy.
Brian Delgado	In some sense education of our youth is societal creation, and we must teach historical truth if we ever hope to have a chance at healing past injustices.
Lauriann Stanley	“no comment”
Carolyn Sanders	Young people have the right to learn about actual his/herstory - not what legislators want them to learn.
Shannon Howard	The truth matters and is the only catalyst for true change!
Scott Grant	“no comment”
Donna Rottier	I am committed to developing students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, and this cannot be done without access to truth.
Ashley Roane	We need to be aware of the truth in order to create a better future for us all.
Kristin Strasser	“no comment”
Lisa M. Sparaco	We need teachers prepared to serve our diverse communities for a more inclusive, democratic society!
Jaclyn Sarnese	Students deserve to learn the truth, which includes all sides of history- the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of our past, if we truly want to prevent history from repeating itself
Dawn Miller	“no comment”
Arielle King	“no comment”
Jessica Blanchard Anti-Oppression Ally Sheherhers	I am committed to educating students how to connect the dots between society's oppressive roots sown in the past and the thriving manifestations of oppression in the present. I am committed to partnering with equity/social justice-minded allies to teach our youth how to be more educated on oppression in all its forms so they can join our anti-oppression ancestors in leading the way to be a more accepting, caring, and thoughtful generation committed to genuine, humanizing liberation for all. I am committed, also, to those folks who resist, who deny, who fear anti-oppression ideology and action. I stand with my ally partners in not giving up on you. Change. It is hard. But possible. Always possible. I believe this. This is why I sign my name. Jessica Blanchard
Jim Moreno	Hate and ignorance are not my America. This action of teaching the truth is my America.
Suzanne Russell	Teaching real hard history matters. Truth is key to an informed citizen....even the uncomfortable truth.
Geniese Ligon	All history matters.
Jeff Bonine	The road to equity for all, is the knowledge of the inequities of the past.
Stacey Uy	When our national story is devoid of the the truth, we are not equipping students with the tools and ancestral knowledge they need to make a better world possible. We are simply teaching them how to deal with the status quo. As an Asian student in a mostly white community, I did not learn any Asian-American history until I left high school. I can only imagine who I'd be had I learned earlier, had I been taught narratives that allowed me to love myself. As educators, it's our duty to prevent this cycle from perpetuating. We need to teach our true history.
Armando Batista	I am an artist and educator whose responsibility it is to create a safe space for my students to take risks and ask the hard questions about the society they are now members of...in order to be functioning participants. As an American citizen born to parents who immigrated here for a better life, I cannot in good conscience allow for these laws to maintain this country’s denial of its long and true history of systemic racism, sexism, and oppression towards those who identify as other than the white, heterosexual and/or male. I stand with my fellow educators to once again fight for a more inclusive and truthful account of American History; a Peoples History.
Carolyn Williams	It is time we live up to the values of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution!
Cara Hetrick	“no comment”
Martha Garcia	I believe access to information is essential for critical thinking.
Molly Sterner	The truth must be taught.
Jacqueline Navarro	I refuse to lie to my students about the true history of the United States.
Lorna Zukas	It is absurd that students get to the university level and they say, "why didn't anyone every teach me this?" Students need to be educated about all aspects of the formation of the U.S., the good, the bad, and the ugly truth.
Lisa M. Sparaco	Teaching an inclusive & truthful history ensures greater understanding for a diverse & democratic society!