The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has three pledges from Mesa 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 Mesa teachers included, "I love my students. I refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events" and "I care about my students and want to teach them to think".
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 |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Tanner | I care about my students and want to teach them to think. |
| Elizabeth Tanner | I love my students. I refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events. |
| Semore Butts | No comment |
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