The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 9, the day before. It now has two 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 "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 |
---|---|
Jaqui Eicher | The truth matters |
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. |