There were no new teachers in Ellicott City who signed the pledge on Feb. 13, according to an online pledge from the Zinn Education Project.
The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 12, the day before. It now has 10 pledges from Ellicott City 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 Ellicott City teachers included, “History is notorious for not being very pretty, American history is no different. We have come a long way in this country as African Americans but we still have much further to go. To help build a more honest and fair education system we cannot continue to misinform our children about history that may be confrontational and/or uncomfortable. History is a fact, and education is where we learn to discern fact from fiction. We need this misinformation to stop, here and now, and embrace the truth of our countries history for the sake of its future and the future of those who will one day run it and protect it” and “Our students deserve to–and want to–know the truth. Only the truth will lead to the compassionate, empathetic, knowledgeable leaders we need in our society”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Connor Walsh | No comment |
| Deborah Holihan | I will not lie to my students. History is true. It cannot be changed. We must learn and understand our past. Imagine my surprise when I woke up this AM to the “report a teacher” BS of VAs Youngkin. A man who won the governor’s office on anti CRT/history and now wants to report teachers who are teaching “divisive practices.” GTFO! History is history. You learn from it, not deny it. Not hide behind an acronym of CRT. It’s history. Period. |
| Elizabeth Campbell Vidreiro | Our students deserve to–and want to–know the truth. Only the truth will lead to the compassionate, empathetic, knowledgeable leaders we need in our society. |
| Joann Kang | No comment |
| Jomo Fowlkes | No comment |
| Josiah Lookingbill | I will not purposefully mislead my students and ignore racist injustice |
| Josiah Lookingbill | The truth matters. Denying the truth harms my students. |
| Matt Bachtel | No comment |
| Miaa Fisher | History is notorious for not being very pretty, American history is no different. We have come a long way in this country as African Americans but we still have much further to go. To help build a more honest and fair education system we cannot continue to misinform our children about history that may be confrontational and/or uncomfortable. History is a fact, and education is where we learn to discern fact from fiction. We need this misinformation to stop, here and now, and embrace the truth of our countries history for the sake of its future and the future of those who will one day run it and protect it. |
| Sabrina Dailey | I disagree with any legislative attempts to re-write and/or omit historical truths. As a Black woman in my early sixties, I have always had to deal with someone else’s version of history, which was not always (hardly ever, actually) completely factual. I never thought that the progress that I have witnessed in my lifetime would go so far backwards, so quickly. Let’s face our faults as a nation and tell the TRUTH, even if it hurts. |
