The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 24, the day before. It now has seven pledges from Middletown 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 Middletown teachers included, "History is literally present in all that we do and I will not allow those who want to whitewash it to do so. The circle must be broken…" and "I refuse to hide from our past as a nation. It is time to heal and grow together, and that starts with loving discussions of our true history".
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 |
|---|---|
| Anthony Franco | I teach a course that would be considered "illegal" if legislation is passed. I'll still teach this course if legislation is passed. |
| Ari Kubie | I refuse to hide from our past as a nation. It is time to heal and grow together, and that starts with loving discussions of our true history. |
| Brian Horne | History is literally present in all that we do and I will not allow those who want to whitewash it to do so. The circle must be broken… |
| Elizabeth Mancini | Students need to understand issues from a variety of lenses and perspectives. |
| Jennifer McElroy | No comment |
| Karen Davis | None of us are free until we are all free. |
| Sean Hogan | We teach and learn to embrace the truth, not deny it. |
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