The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has seven pledges from Columbus 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 Columbus teachers included, "We can only make the world a better place if we know where we have come from" and "The truth should not be hidden".
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 |
|---|---|
| Alice Ragland | The truth should not be hidden. |
| Anna Schottenstein | While feelings of discomfort can make people think as topic is controversial, discomfort leads to learning. The facts are NOT controversial. We must acknowledge our past and truth in history. Legislation should NOT be based on feelings but based on facts. We need to stop politicizing historical facts and spreading disinformation. |
| Brian Schwartz | I believe students should learn the true history of our country. |
| Danielle Polemeni | No comment |
| Jana Clarke | No comment |
| Megan Moriarty | There is no need to fear the teaching of facts. Your spin on what it means to teach factual history from multiple points of view is nothing but a scare tactic to get the uneducated masses into a Fox News frenzy. I pledge to teach the truth from all points of view. |
| Samantha Lortz | We can only make the world a better place if we know where we have come from. |
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