The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 14, the day before. It now has three pledges from Greeley 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 Greeley teachers included, "I believe that educators strive to do what is best, not only for our students, but for our communities, societies, and overall bigger world. It's essential to teach history truthfully, and to uplift the voices of those who have been marginalized, even though they've contributed greatly to our society. Our youth DESERVE to know the truth. By knowing and understanding the world more truthfully, students will have the tools to make decisions that could help increase wealth, gender, and racial equity. By ignoring true history, we perpetuate unequal positions of power. “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”– Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed" and "The truth matters!".
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 |
|---|---|
| Annie White | I believe that educators strive to do what is best, not only for our students, but for our communities, societies, and overall bigger world. It's essential to teach history truthfully, and to uplift the voices of those who have been marginalized, even though they've contributed greatly to our society. Our youth DESERVE to know the truth. By knowing and understanding the world more truthfully, students will have the tools to make decisions that could help increase wealth, gender, and racial equity. By ignoring true history, we perpetuate unequal positions of power. “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.”– Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed |
| Brittni Laura Hernandez | No comment |
| Richard Cieminski | The truth matters! |
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