The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has six pledges from Columbia 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 Columbia teachers included, "Our democracy and freedom, as envisioned by our country's founders, depend on an educated population making informed decisions. Censorship benefits only those who want to destroy democracy" and "Because teaching real, authentic, and meaningful history is important".
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 |
|---|---|
| Christina Zastrow | Because teaching real, authentic, and meaningful history is important. |
| Jill Walters | Our children should be learning the entirety of our country’s history, so that future generations can learn from our past. |
| Kathleen Burns | I care about my students. |
| Katie Sipho | No comment |
| Kristina Detmer | Our democracy and freedom, as envisioned by our country's founders, depend on an educated population making informed decisions. Censorship benefits only those who want to destroy democracy. |
| Shira Levy | No comment |
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