No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has two pledges from Lafayette teachers by the end of the week ending March 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.
The new Lafayette teacher wrote “No student's positionality should go without an education that provides critical analysis on historical awareness of a nation built through violently oppressed people, cultural eradication, settler colonialism, imperialism, and fascist nationalizing. U.S. politics actively work to rewrite history in the interest of exploitation. Failing to recognize histories of the oppressed creates a harmful continuum that works solely for exploitative benefit. This erasure of studies which highlight atrocities is telling of the inequality we see today. What sort of future is being created for the minds of tomorrow if we cannot educate students on the past that sculpted our present suffering and its embodied people?” 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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Bryn Pennington | “no comment” |
| Jacob Jansen | No student's positionality should go without an education that provides critical analysis on historical awareness of a nation built through violently oppressed people, cultural eradication, settler colonialism, imperialism, and fascist nationalizing. U.S. politics actively work to rewrite history in the interest of exploitation. Failing to recognize histories of the oppressed creates a harmful continuum that works solely for exploitative benefit. This erasure of studies which highlight atrocities is telling of the inequality we see today. What sort of future is being created for the minds of tomorrow if we cannot educate students on the past that sculpted our present suffering and its embodied people? |
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