The pledge was signed by no teachers on Feb. 17, the day before. It now has three pledges from Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire teachers included, "Students deserve to hear history about everyone. No experiences should be silenced" and "Banning whole concepts from being taught in the classroom is not an acceptable policy. This legislation shows outright disrespect for a vast body of scholarship on race and racism. The vagueness of the language and the lack of any consultation with expertise in the relevant fields shows that these bans of "divisive concepts" are autocratic, the very opposite of inclusion. Thank you for bringing this petition forward".
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 |
|---|---|
| David Jones | Banning whole concepts from being taught in the classroom is not an acceptable policy. This legislation shows outright disrespect for a vast body of scholarship on race and racism. The vagueness of the language and the lack of any consultation with expertise in the relevant fields shows that these bans of "divisive concepts" are autocratic, the very opposite of inclusion. Thank you for bringing this petition forward. |
| Elizabeth Forehand | No comment |
| Lauren Zygowicz | Students deserve to hear history about everyone. No experiences should be silenced. |
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