No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has three pledges from Ipswich teachers by the end of the week ending Feb. 12.
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 Ipswich teachers included “we must stop whitewashing education and begin to lift all Ss up. By speaking truth to history all are given a humanity that wasn't present in earlier teaching.” and “Tired of whitewashed world...The truth needs to be told. The kids can handle it better than most adults I have dealt with.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Beth Hurst | “no comment” |
| Paul Stacy | we must stop whitewashing education and begin to lift all Ss up. By speaking truth to history all are given a humanity that wasn't present in earlier teaching. |
| Paul Stacy | Tired of whitewashed world...The truth needs to be told. The kids can handle it better than most adults I have dealt with. |
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