The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 19, the day before. It now has eight pledges from Riverside 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 Riverside teachers included, "As a historian and an alternative education teacher, I know the importance of teaching history to encompass everyone. Not the traditional old, white, and Protestant Christian history. LGBTQIA+ students need to see themselves in their history books. BIPOC students need to see the struggles of their peoples and the triumphs as well. By understanding our history, we can better handle the events around us and create much-needed change for our country and the world" and "Our students deserve to be taught the truth and provided with opportunities to think critically about history in order to make better decisions for the future. Our historically marginalized students learn these lessons outside the classroom daily. It’s time that we provide space and skills for them to process, learn from, and act upon their experiences in schools".
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 |
|---|---|
| Abby Wherry | As a historian and an alternative education teacher, I know the importance of teaching history to encompass everyone. Not the traditional old, white, and Protestant Christian history. LGBTQIA+ students need to see themselves in their history books. BIPOC students need to see the struggles of their peoples and the triumphs as well. By understanding our history, we can better handle the events around us and create much-needed change for our country and the world. |
| Amanda Day | No comment |
| Denise Kruizenga-Muro | I want to stand up for students of color and I believe in the importance to our Democracy of learning the truth of American history. |
| Kathryn Grimble | Our students deserve to be taught the truth and provided with opportunities to think critically about history in order to make better decisions for the future. Our historically marginalized students learn these lessons outside the classroom daily. It’s time that we provide space and skills for them to process, learn from, and act upon their experiences in schools. |
| Kelly Bridges | No comment |
| Narcisa Navarro | I believe in CRT, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and the need for Ethnic Studies in school! |
| Narcisa Navarro | My Black and Brown students deserve more! |
| Redlinger M.J. | Teachers need to stand against stupid lawmakers who want to control education with the intent to manufacture youth they can control. |
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