No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has four pledges from Broomfield 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 Broomfield teacher wrote “Children need to learn how to discuss these issues thoughtfully and draw their own conclusions. Teachers need the freedom to teach history that is unbiased, and to use words that describe social phenomena like racism and discrimination, without censorship or fear of being dismissed from their jobs.” 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 |
|---|---|
| Riann Sahnow | The truth is important. |
| Janel Ramsey | Truth matters. Hiding truth because you don't like it, isn't education. |
| Rachel Knoche | “no comment” |
| Ashlynn Manning | Children need to learn how to discuss these issues thoughtfully and draw their own conclusions. Teachers need the freedom to teach history that is unbiased, and to use words that describe social phenomena like racism and discrimination, without censorship or fear of being dismissed from their jobs. |
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