The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 7, the day before. It now has seven pledges from Spokane 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 Spokane teachers included, "This is VITAL work and we cannot be deterred!" and "The truth matters".
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 |
|---|---|
| Alexandra Jones | The truth matters. |
| Amy Staggs | This is VITAL work and we cannot be deterred! |
| David Egly | There is no one "history" - there are many "histories", many lived experiences by different individuals & peoples throughout history as well as today. I strive to honor those histories by helping students understand past events and movements through many different perspectives. In this way, we get closer to the truth about our past and are able to see our present with a more nuanced vision. |
| John Browning | No comment |
| Kelsey Rust | We must teach our children how things actually happened in the past if we want them to do better in the future. |
| Scott Ward | A curriculum that centers the struggle, resistance, and triumph of marginalized groups is critical in building thinkers capable of interrogating our current systems and fighting for a future in which every person is free. |
| Tyler Wilch | No comment |
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