The pledge was signed by no teachers on March 7, the day before. It now has five pledges from Bellevue 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 Bellevue teachers included, "Civics education is more important now than ever" and "Thinking like a historian is a critical-thinking skill every teenager learns in high school. Thinking like a historian is an essential skill enabling future citizens to learn how to understand, analyze and identify FACTS. Students in public education must NEVER be told by their government which facts they are allowed to learn and which ones they are forbidden from learning".
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 |
|---|---|
| Emi Morton | our children are going to create the future. |
| Eve Chan | No comment |
| Holly Huckeba | Thinking like a historian is a critical-thinking skill every teenager learns in high school. Thinking like a historian is an essential skill enabling future citizens to learn how to understand, analyze and identify FACTS. Students in public education must NEVER be told by their government which facts they are allowed to learn and which ones they are forbidden from learning. |
| Jason Friesen | No comment |
| Julia Morse | Civics education is more important now than ever. |
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