The pledge was signed by no teachers on Dec. 19, the day before. It now has 10 pledges from Corvallis 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 Corvallis teachers included, "I believe wholeheartedly in teaching the story of history, of humanity, in it's entirety. It's our history and it's critical we acknowledge the past so we can work towards a better future. The definition of indoctrination, as I share with my students, is NOT questioning something and being told to accept the narrative" and "As a history and geography teacher, I am aware of the necessity of teaching Hard History. Uncovering and discussing these complex topics makes us stronger, not weaker, as a society".
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 |
|---|---|
| Alexis Croisdale | I want children to learn the truth before they graduate high school. |
| Gay Timken | We need the truth!!! As Trevor Noah recently said: "You can look at your country’s history critically without believing that you’re personally to blame for it.” |
| Genevieve Raich | It is vital that as humans we learn correct history so we can learn from it so we do not repeat our mistakes |
| Jaqui Eicher | The truth matters |
| June Morris | As a history and geography teacher, I am aware of the necessity of teaching Hard History. Uncovering and discussing these complex topics makes us stronger, not weaker, as a society. |
| Kc Perley | I believe wholeheartedly in teaching the story of history, of humanity, in it's entirety. It's our history and it's critical we acknowledge the past so we can work towards a better future. The definition of indoctrination, as I share with my students, is NOT questioning something and being told to accept the narrative. |
| Megan McQueen | No comment |
| Michaela Caldwell | No comment |
| Mike Boyer | the truth shall set you free... |
| Shellie Gooden | We cannot lead a class of learners who have no concept of where we come from. One need only look to the misguided actions of January 6, 2021 to see what a lack of education about govenment can do to rip the fabric and heart of our democracy to shreads. I should have spoken out as our history/government curriculum were systematically degraded decades ago. I will not be silent again. |
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