The pledge was signed by no teachers on April 20, the day before. It now has one pledge from South Burlington 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 South Burlington teacher wrote "As an educator, I have a moral obligation to know, understand, and teach truth-centered history. I am especially passionate about this since I grew up at a time when history was not taught in an accurate, truthful way. As a result, I continue to unlearn what I learned in my own public school in order to re-learn an accurate truth." 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 |
|---|---|
| Susie Merrick | As an educator, I have a moral obligation to know, understand, and teach truth-centered history. I am especially passionate about this since I grew up at a time when history was not taught in an accurate, truthful way. As a result, I continue to unlearn what I learned in my own public school in order to re-learn an accurate truth. |
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