The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 7, the day before. It now has 29 pledges from St. Paul 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 St. Paul teachers included, "I'm committed to representing all of my students' diverse experiences and identities through the texts we read. Literature provides an insight into others' experiences and enables understanding, empathy and empowerment to flourish. When one person's experiences differ from our own, we can learn. And they can learn from us. This is the power of education" and "I want the truth to be told".
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 |
|---|---|
| Alexa Ramirez | No comment |
| Amanda Madsen | The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity." - James BaldwinI stand in solidarity with my fellow educators who are being silenced in teaching children to think critically for themselves. |
| Angela Wilcox | Otherwise I have no business being an educator. This is our job! |
| Ann Griffin | I believe our children deserve the truth. I believe in them. |
| Ann Hebble | No comment |
| Beau Pin | It is a moral responsibility to help young people to understand that racism existed throughout history and that generational poverty is a product of systemic racism. |
| Blanca Caldas Chumbes | No comment |
| Calee Cecconi | No comment |
| Carson O'Doubhlain | No comment |
| Cheryl Wilgren | No comment |
| Deidre Druk | I believe teachers should teach the truth about US History showing what is beautiful and what is not so beautiful in order to create a better tomorrow. I want to be in solidarity with others who believe this too. |
| Heather Gustafson | We teach events and policies that shaped history. We're sharing information, not ideology. Let's learn what really happened and who it happened to, our students can handle it. |
| Jane Gottfried | No comment |
| Jenny Wrenson | No comment |
| Joel Juen | It is more important now than ever to teach an accurate version of history. |
| Kally Muenster | Teaching our children the nation’s correct history is so important. We need that so the system can change. |
| Katie Piehl | No comment |
| Kelsey Funk | No comment |
| Mara Johnson | it's the right thing to do and because children deserve to learn the truth about our history. |
| Mark Roudané | Our historical amnesia, especially with respect to Black history, is shameful. Anti-racist education is urgently needed! |
| Mary Eisinger | No comment |
| Michael White | Our students must learn facts about our history. As a gay parent of an adopted child of color, husband, and Elementary Dean, I'm committed to supporting curriculum that reflects all of my students and their families, including mine. A ban on teaching facts is never OK. |
| Nancy Yang | Our children and people should know the truth and learned from it to make the world a better place to live for all. |
| Nicola Turnet | I want the truth to be told. |
| Qorsho Hassan | No comment |
| Shannon Schuver | No comment |
| Tara Miller | I'm committed to representing all of my students' diverse experiences and identities through the texts we read. Literature provides an insight into others' experiences and enables understanding, empathy and empowerment to flourish. When one person's experiences differ from our own, we can learn. And they can learn from us. This is the power of education. |
| Tom Lucy | No comment |
| Valerie Shirley | Will always teach the truth, no matter what!#oppressedpeopleunite |
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