No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has seven pledges from Portland teachers by the end of the week ending Aug. 28.
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.
The new Portland teacher wrote “Education is about sharing knowledge, not mis-information. Students deserve to learn history from different perspectives, and the history of this country includes much more than the conquests and successes of white men. How can things get better if we don't teach them how the problems were created in the first place? Racism isn't an individual problem. It's a systemic problem, and can't be changed if we leave that crucial information out of students education.” when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Wl Chapkis | Injustice matters. |
| Christina Bechstein | “no comment” |
| Kate Kessler | The truth is what children deserve to learn. |
| Anne Baltren | “no comment” |
| Cheryl Hart | “no comment” |
| Amy Zanghi | Education is about sharing knowledge, not mis-information. Students deserve to learn history from different perspectives, and the history of this country includes much more than the conquests and successes of white men. How can things get better if we don't teach them how the problems were created in the first place? Racism isn't an individual problem. It's a systemic problem, and can't be changed if we leave that crucial information out of students education. |
| Jake Kulaw | “no comment” |
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