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 Greensboro teachers included, "It is unavoidable when teaching ANY subject or topic that someone will feel uncomfortable. In fact, discomfort is the place where learning happens. School is not about comfort, it's about learning. These current attempts to legislate student comfort/discomfort in school because of the fear that we are "indoctrinating" our students to think critically about history and current events is not only absurd but harmful. I am also signing because these planned laws are an insult to the teaching profession. Legislatures are only showing the disdain and distrust they have of teachers to do the job for which they have degrees and licenses. Legislators are not the education experts and should leave the teaching to teachers" and "Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by Loewen, J. was published in 1995 and yet the cycle of miseducation continues. If a learner is old enough to experience the oppression, the only folks protected by NOT teaching accurate histories are learners situated in a position privileged enough not to perceive the issues impacting their peers. Yet here we are in 2021 debating Critical Race Theory as a subject as if our students of color do not experience the impact. How interesting to live in a country that shames another for their historical atrocities, i.e. Germany, without accepting not only the accountability for our own nation's atrocities, as well as our participation in those of the countries we shame. Also, education is not about learning lies, right?".
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 |
|---|---|
| Deb Greene | When I became an educator, I did so to make the future better. Telling lies won't do that. |
| Eliza MacDonald | No comment |
| Eric Wrencher | Remembering rightly is the only way to move forward in the right way. |
| Genevieve Smith | Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by Loewen, J. was published in 1995 and yet the cycle of miseducation continues. If a learner is old enough to experience the oppression, the only folks protected by NOT teaching accurate histories are learners situated in a position privileged enough not to perceive the issues impacting their peers. Yet here we are in 2021 debating Critical Race Theory as a subject as if our students of color do not experience the impact. How interesting to live in a country that shames another for their historical atrocities, i.e. Germany, without accepting not only the accountability for our own nation's atrocities, as well as our participation in those of the countries we shame. Also, education is not about learning lies, right? |
| Hannah Morris | It is unavoidable when teaching ANY subject or topic that someone will feel uncomfortable. In fact, discomfort is the place where learning happens. School is not about comfort, it's about learning. These current attempts to legislate student comfort/discomfort in school because of the fear that we are "indoctrinating" our students to think critically about history and current events is not only absurd but harmful. I am also signing because these planned laws are an insult to the teaching profession. Legislatures are only showing the disdain and distrust they have of teachers to do the job for which they have degrees and licenses. Legislators are not the education experts and should leave the teaching to teachers. |
| Hollie Blake | No comment |
| Jasmine Getrouw-Moore | No comment |
| Jess Barselow | The only way to make the world a better place for everyone is understand the ways in which it is not equitable for all, which includes learning the history of how we got here. |
| Lindsay Stephenson | No comment |
| Tinisha Shaw | I am an educator. My role as an educator is to teach the truth and in truth; encourage and support the agency of my students and colleagues; to develop and support a space of teaching and learning; recognize, respect, and honor the full identities of my students and colleagues- that is their historical, present, and future identities. |
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