The pledge was signed by no teachers on April 20, the day before. It now has three pledges from West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines teachers included, "Teaching the truth of history is important. It is also important because as a social worker it is important that I know the history in order to help my clients who may be dealing with traumatic events" and "Only in teaching & learning the truth about our nation's history will we be able to rise above it & build a system that uplifts & supports all humanity".
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 |
|---|---|
| Carrie Jacobs | Only in teaching & learning the truth about our nation's history will we be able to rise above it & build a system that uplifts & supports all humanity. |
| Jessica Parsons | I am an aspiring Antiracist Educator |
| Kimberlee Gregory | Teaching the truth of history is important. It is also important because as a social worker it is important that I know the history in order to help my clients who may be dealing with traumatic events. |
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