The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 2, the day before. It now has two pledges from Charlestown 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 Charlestown teachers included, "I refuse to be bullied by lawmakers who have never stepped foot in a public school. American History is not pretty, and I refuse to teach children a dumbed down, whitewashed version of it just to appease bigoted individuals. Teaching accurate history isn't against the law" and "I refuse to be bullied by lawmakers who have never stepped foot in a public school. American History is not pretty, and I refuse to teach children a dumbed down, whitewashed version of it just to appease bigoted individuals. Teaching accurate history isn't against the law".
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 |
|---|---|
| Joshua Lambert | I refuse to be bullied by lawmakers who have never stepped foot in a public school. American History is not pretty, and I refuse to teach children a dumbed down, whitewashed version of it just to appease bigoted individuals. Teaching accurate history isn't against the law. |
| Theresa Bouley | No comment |
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