The pledge was signed by no teachers on Nov. 28, the day before. It now has one pledge from Lutz 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 Lutz teacher wrote "Children must be able to trust the adults in their lives if they are to develop into well-adjusted adults. If we are silent or walk away from certain topics, we tell our students that we are not the ones to trust or worse, that their feelings and experiences are not valid or worthy of discussion." 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 |
---|---|
Angela Taflampas | Children must be able to trust the adults in their lives if they are to develop into well-adjusted adults. If we are silent or walk away from certain topics, we tell our students that we are not the ones to trust or worse, that their feelings and experiences are not valid or worthy of discussion. |