The pledge was signed by no teachers on Oct. 20, the day before. It now has two pledges from Woodstock 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 Woodstock teachers included, "as a social studies teacher, I have the responsibility to teach history to my students in an accurate and factual way" and "We must not try to hide the parts of our past that paints us in a bad light. It's a necessary piece to understand the cultural and economical divide we face today, and to advance our understanding of the communities around us".
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 |
|---|---|
| Hugh G. Rection | We must not try to hide the parts of our past that paints us in a bad light. It's a necessary piece to understand the cultural and economical divide we face today, and to advance our understanding of the communities around us. |
| Tomas Soto-Garcia | as a social studies teacher, I have the responsibility to teach history to my students in an accurate and factual way. |
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