The pledge was signed by four teachers the week before. It now has four pledges from Charleston teachers by the end of the week ending Feb. 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. 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 |
|---|---|
| Sheli Ballard | I am committed to sharing honest, comprehensive content in such a manner as it is relevant and meaningful to ALL students. |
| Julia Royall | “no comment” |
| Hartley Sierputoski | As an educator, I refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events. |
| Loni Lewis | My students deserve the truth. My students love learning about the truth. My students deserve windows and mirrors (in the words of Rudine Simms Bishop). |
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