The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 7, the day before. It now has two pledges from Juneau 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 Juneau teachers included, "Children are the future. It is our responsibility as educators to inspire our students and give them the appropriate resources to make change. Our educational system needs to be dismantled so our children can learn the true history of our world. Our educational system needs to be dismantled so all children can be given an experience in school that builds self confidence, critical thinking skills, and a vision of how solve problems. If we provide them with our true history, our children will be given the information and will be able to grow into citizens who promote the change that we need" and "Children are the future. It is our responsibility as educators to inspire our students and give them the appropriate resources to make change. Our educational system needs to be dismantled so our children can learn the true history of our world. Our educational system needs to be dismantled so all children can be given an experience in school that builds self confidence, critical thinking skills, and a vision of how solve problems. If we provide them with our true history, our children will be given the information and will be able to grow into citizens who promote the change that we need".
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 |
|---|---|
| Carly Lehnhart | Children are the future. It is our responsibility as educators to inspire our students and give them the appropriate resources to make change. Our educational system needs to be dismantled so our children can learn the true history of our world. Our educational system needs to be dismantled so all children can be given an experience in school that builds self confidence, critical thinking skills, and a vision of how solve problems. If we provide them with our true history, our children will be given the information and will be able to grow into citizens who promote the change that we need. |
| Naomi Love | No comment |
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