The pledge was signed by 11 teachers the week before. It now has 19 pledges from San Mateo 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 |
|---|---|
| Gabriel Alegre | As a graduate of the College of Ethnic Studies at SFSU, and an educator in the SF Bay Area, I #TeachTruth in the classroom that reflects the communities I serve. Students want to see themselves in the histories we teach in a relevant and meaningful way.In 1968 the Black Student Union/Third World Liberation Front went on strike at SFSU for a little over 4 months. Among the demands that were won as a result of the stirke was the establishment of the School of Ethnic Studies, later renamed in 1994 as the College of Ethnic Studies---the first of its kind in the country. |
| Nathan Geer | The truth matters. |
| Glenn Heuser | It's the right thing to do. |
| Sara Verhalen | I am committed to teaching my students the whole truth about our country's history and recent and current events |
| Neely Norris | I believe all students need to learn about the history of our country and learn to critically question in order to be strong leaders for our future. |
| Joseph Miller | I believe in this cause. Thank you for making the effort. |
| Nils Headley | my children and my students, when presented with the primary sources, can draw the conclusions that will allow them to be informed and critical voters. |
| Karena Martin | “no comment” |
| Julie Antupit Antupit | I feel it's so important to teach children the whole truth about our history and to teach them critical thinking skills to keep learning throughout their lives! |
| Audra Carli | it is imperative that we teach students ALL of US History - the good, the bad and the ugly. Students need to understand roots of current movements and look to the future critically and thoughtfully. WE CANNOT REWRITE AND WHITEWASH US HISTORY. |
| Suzie Quiney | “no comment” |
| Sherry Anoush | I refuse to lie to my students about the important history of racism and gender discrimination in our country. |
| Nathan Geer | I believe the truth about our past will set us up for the our best, most responsible and inclusive future. |
| Daniel Chanin | I refuse to lie to my students about the important history of racism and gender discrimination in our country. |
| Meagan McGovern | If we don’t teach about race and our country’s history, we can’t expect our students and future generations to change our country and world. There is so much injustice happening. Our students deserve to know the truth so they can help make change! |
| Carrie Betti | Multiple perspectives and the truth must be taught in our schools for social justice and our future. |
| Ann Rarden | our children need to hear the truth so they can act on dismantling the systems of injustice and inequity |
| Elizabeth Devan | I have experienced and witnessed racism/bias/inequality/unfair treatment my whole life. I want my child to learn about the past, learn what is just and not, and not contribute to the cycle of injustice. We should always teach the truth - even if it is not pretty. |
| Michelle Murano | Knowledge is power. |
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