The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 24, the day before. It now has four pledges from Lawrenceville 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 Lawrenceville teachers included, "I feel strongly that we must learn from our past in order to make sure we do not repeat past mistakes" and "Students NEED to be taught the truth if we expect them to make meaningful contributions to society and NOT repeat the errors and cruelty of the past. They need to be BETTER than previous generations. They cannot do that WITHOUT know the ENTIRE truth of our existence".
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 |
---|---|
Amy Wildey | I feel strongly that we must learn from our past in order to make sure we do not repeat past mistakes. |
Laura Park | No comment |
Sherri Lucas-Hall | I know that unless we teach TRUTH to students they will be unable to make INFORMED decisions about their futures and the future of this nation. |
Sherri Lucas-Hall | Students NEED to be taught the truth if we expect them to make meaningful contributions to society and NOT repeat the errors and cruelty of the past. They need to be BETTER than previous generations. They cannot do that WITHOUT know the ENTIRE truth of our existence. |