The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 22, the day before. It now has one pledge from Hatfield teacher.
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.
The Hatfield teacher wrote "We will not achieve our goal of racial equity until we can fully understand its roots and its current impact on our systems and institutions. If we know and examine the truth about our nation's history, we can make the essential changes to become the model democracy we claim to be. Our students deserve the truth. Our students demand the truth." when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Jenni Manfredi | We will not achieve our goal of racial equity until we can fully understand its roots and its current impact on our systems and institutions. If we know and examine the truth about our nation's history, we can make the essential changes to become the model democracy we claim to be. Our students deserve the truth. Our students demand the truth. |
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