No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has four pledges from Cupertino teachers by the end of the week ending Sep. 18.
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. 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 |
|---|---|
| Jenny Padgett | “no comment” |
| Fran Hopkins | It is only through truly understanding the history of our country can we move forward to create a more perfect union. |
| Ruth Eller | We will never change without looking honestly at our past. |
| Benjamin Recktenwald | This attempt to rewrite our history is sickening. My school district has worked hard to address the issues of systemic racism & sexism & homophobia, and I can't stand by while narrow-minded fools dismantle this work and try to re-whitewash American history. |
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