No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has six pledges from Dayton teachers by the end of the week ending Feb. 12.
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 new Dayton teachers included “Students deserve to be taught the truth.” and “This Missouri bill represents the kind of closed mindedness that will mark the death of public schools, as such.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Tessa Benner | Students deserve to be taught the truth. |
| Lis Regula | “no comment” |
| Brianne Green | “no comment” |
| Darren Smith | Students should have a factual understanding of the actual history of the United States and how it impacts the world the students live in today. |
| Melanie Thiesse | “no comment” |
| Larry Crowe | This Missouri bill represents the kind of closed mindedness that will mark the death of public schools, as such. |
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