The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 25, the day before. It now has six pledges from Elk Grove 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 Elk Grove teachers included, "As educators our job is to prepare students for their next steps in life which is usually a career after HS or going to College. Overall, being able to navigate this world while helping it change for the better. Without providing our students with proper information they will feel lost and uninformed in a world that is always advancing and where others actually care about different cultures and peoples. Choosing to remove history, not only states that a State is racist and anti-LGBTQIA+, but it just further supports how the system always has been instead of actually developing to the next level as a country, which is to tell the true history and to embrace all people so others can gain empathy and understanding. Not only would these laws tell BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students that you do not matter to us, we will also be setting our students up for failure if we continue to teach the white europeans centric voice that has always been taught in schools. Don’t erase the voices and lived experiences of others who are harmed and have been harmed the most in our country, it will only lead towards more students harming themselves and others" and "I believe in telling the truth about our history and what is going on NOW!".
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 |
|---|---|
| Arianna Barzman-Grennan | It matters that we teach our students accurate information. Without the truth, we cannot hope to have a more informed, knowledgeable population of students and citizens. |
| Bethany Moslen | As educators our job is to prepare students for their next steps in life which is usually a career after HS or going to College. Overall, being able to navigate this world while helping it change for the better. Without providing our students with proper information they will feel lost and uninformed in a world that is always advancing and where others actually care about different cultures and peoples. Choosing to remove history, not only states that a State is racist and anti-LGBTQIA+, but it just further supports how the system always has been instead of actually developing to the next level as a country, which is to tell the true history and to embrace all people so others can gain empathy and understanding. Not only would these laws tell BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students that you do not matter to us, we will also be setting our students up for failure if we continue to teach the white europeans centric voice that has always been taught in schools. Don’t erase the voices and lived experiences of others who are harmed and have been harmed the most in our country, it will only lead towards more students harming themselves and others. |
| Joanne Brown | I believe in telling the truth about our history and what is going on NOW! |
| Jordan Dietrich | No comment |
| Miranda Massa | The truth matters! |
| Tessa Green | I am the mother of black children who deserve representation and honesty in the classroom. As a white woman I wish I had not been in my 30s when I learned the truth about so many systems of oppression. As a teacher all of my students deserve to know the truth about history as well as feel our classroom is a safe and welcoming place for all! |
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