The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has four pledges from Bronx 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 Bronx teachers included, "I live in a state that still allows me to to teach mostly the way I choose, but I cannot take that for granted" and "Our students need to know the truth".
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 |
|---|---|
| Diane Yacenda | No comment |
| Jessica Hernandez-Speer | I live in a state that still allows me to to teach mostly the way I choose, but I cannot take that for granted. |
| Molly Cavanaugh | The black and brown students in my classroom deserve to learn true history, and so do their white peers who are not in my classroom due to the continued, systemic school segregation and inequality in cities like New York. |
| Moskoula Harisiadis | Our students need to know the truth. |
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