The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 3, the day before. It now has one pledge from Pawling teacher.
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.
The Pawling teacher wrote "Politicians should not be involved in deciding how history is taught. When we teach students to think critically about the documents we are having them read, brainwashing is not possible. What we do is the opposite of brainwashing, and we are protecting them from brainwashing because we teach them to think for themselves, and not to believe hyperbole and respond with fear." when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Joanna Lewick | Politicians should not be involved in deciding how history is taught. When we teach students to think critically about the documents we are having them read, brainwashing is not possible. What we do is the opposite of brainwashing, and we are protecting them from brainwashing because we teach them to think for themselves, and not to believe hyperbole and respond with fear. |
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