The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 7, the day before. It now has three pledges from Middlebury 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 Middlebury teachers included, "Teaching history will sometimes be uncomfortable. As history teachers, our job is to teach students to think critically about our nation’s past so that we may understand the present and do better for the future" and "We must teach the truth to all students!".
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 |
|---|---|
| Jason Kahn | The truth is never a lie. |
| Leann Cassidy | Teaching history will sometimes be uncomfortable. As history teachers, our job is to teach students to think critically about our nation’s past so that we may understand the present and do better for the future. |
| Michelle Steele | We must teach the truth to all students! |
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