The pledge was signed by one teacher the month before. It now has one pledge from Urbandale teachers by June.
They are 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.
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 |
|---|---|
| John-Paul Chaisson-Cardenas | I am an educator of color who was targeted by the Trump administration for supporting LGBTQ+ youth. For a year, my family and I were doxed, trolled, and the recipients of death threats. I will do whatever is in my power, to support our best educators, so they do not have to go through what I did. |
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