No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has 16 pledges from Cambridge teachers by the end of the week ending Aug. 28.
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 new Cambridge teachers included “The history of black, indigenous and people of Asian descent have rarely been told. The backdrop of racial supremacy assumed and enacted by Caucasian people has not been owned. The fuller history must be known by students and all.” and “Teaching hard history is an antiracist act. Children's rights need to be respected, including their right to truth in their education. Sharing (in developmentally appropriate ways) the foundations on which our country's policies and laws rest will open to students the possibilities of being and creating a more equitable future both in the USA and globally.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Marilyn Frankenstein | “no comment” |
| Leigh Netcoh | “no comment” |
| Karen Engels | “no comment” |
| Lee Waterhouse | “no comment” |
| Kyle Eichner | Children need to know the whole truth of our country’s history - and it is our responsibility as teachers to help them ask questions, look at different perspectives, and figure out what they think about it. |
| Ann Niederkorn | This matters |
| Gretchen Brion-Meisels | Facing our history is the only way for us to begin to move toward a process of truth, reconciliation and reparations. Our children deserve our honesty. |
| Lisa Ebel | “no comment” |
| Lawrence Blum | This legislation flies in the face of everything education and educators stand for--teaching accurate history, teaching students to think, teaching students to examine evidence, teaching them to look critically at received perspectives. Legislators should not be telling educators what to teach, and the attempt to do so would have a chilling effect on the profession of teaching. |
| Margaret Self | Our children have to know the truth about our past and our present in order to change our future. |
| Tracey Gordon | Critical thinking not blind adherence! |
| Trevor Ladner | I am committed to supporting my students in developing positive social identities and taking action in their communities through their critical study of history. |
| Sam Musher | Middle school students already know how to read the literal words on the page. The point of continuing to teach them literacy skills is for them to learn how to think critically about what they read. |
| Layla Cable | I believe children can deal with learning facts and figuring out for themselves and peers, families and communities what is fair and just. Lying to them only leads them to mistrust the adults and or does not help them work out problems on the personal or societal level. Peaceful resolutions come from knowing and facing problems not hiding issues and letting them fester. |
| Holly Stoehr | Teaching hard history is an antiracist act. Children's rights need to be respected, including their right to truth in their education. Sharing (in developmentally appropriate ways) the foundations on which our country's policies and laws rest will open to students the possibilities of being and creating a more equitable future both in the USA and globally. |
| Keely Eastley | The history of black, indigenous and people of Asian descent have rarely been told. The backdrop of racial supremacy assumed and enacted by Caucasian people has not been owned. The fuller history must be known by students and all. |
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