The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has two pledges from Richland 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 Richland teachers included, "I did not understand from school how the history of our nation helped form the racial and other injustices that exist today. I did not even see many injustices. I want my children's education to be more complete than my own. I want them to understand how we got here so that as we enter the future, we can be educated voters who promote a more equitable society" and "Students need to know the real history of our country so it’s not repeated".
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 |
|---|---|
| Diana McPherson | Students need to know the real history of our country so it’s not repeated. |
| Jessica Goodrich | I did not understand from school how the history of our nation helped form the racial and other injustices that exist today. I did not even see many injustices. I want my children's education to be more complete than my own. I want them to understand how we got here so that as we enter the future, we can be educated voters who promote a more equitable society. |
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