No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has six pledges from Santa Monica teachers by the end of the week ending April 2.
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.
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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Stevie Evans | “no comment” |
| Gail Livings | I am determined to teach truth to power and make sure my students will find themselves in my courses. |
| Catherine Ramos | in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."Students need to learn hard truths about history and current events so we do not keep repeating the same injustices. Our children need to be anti-racist allies and agents of change. |
| Shelly Ehrke | I pledge to teach the truth. |
| Glenn Sato | “no comment” |
| Shelly Ehrke | “no comment” |
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