The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 15, the day before. It now has six pledges from Fullerton 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 Fullerton teachers included, "Without an awareness and understanding of the past, especially of the biased beliefs that influenced the foundation of our system of public education in the early 20th century, we are bound to repeat and reinforce it" and "I refuse to allow BIPOC children to believe that learning about their history is divisive, racist, unnecessary, and unimportant".
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 |
|---|---|
| Faith Jennings | We have silenced different perspectives of history and the experiences of the disenfranchised for too long. Too many of our students have sat in classrooms year after year never hearing about the resilience, bravery, and fortitude of people who look like them. We need to stop sanitizing and white-washing our nation's history so we can move forward in a more equitable, inclusive and just manner. If we don't, we will all continue to suffer the consequences. |
| Jamie Jauch | History is uncomfortable, but facts are not controversial. |
| Mark Ellis | Without an awareness and understanding of the past, especially of the biased beliefs that influenced the foundation of our system of public education in the early 20th century, we are bound to repeat and reinforce it. |
| Megan Gibbs | Students deserve to know some uncomfortable truths. |
| Megan Gibbs | Students deserve to know the truth! |
| Moe Miller | I refuse to allow BIPOC children to believe that learning about their history is divisive, racist, unnecessary, and unimportant. |
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