The pledge was signed by no teachers on Oct. 11, the day before. It now has four pledges from Kittery 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 Kittery teachers included, "In order to conquer racism, sexism and other oppressions, we must first teach kids the history of these issues so that they have the language to talk about it. In teaching the *complete* history of this country--the good *and* the bad--kids can not only see their own history, but also the history of those around them. The understanding that comes out of this type of learning will not only uplift those marginalized by the dominant narrative but will also lay the foundation for our people to come together as one" and "students deserve to learn to analyze complicated historical topics".
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 |
|---|---|
| Aimee Sutherland | I refuse to lie to young people about U.S. history and current events — regardless of the law. |
| Amy Adams | Only the truth can set us free. |
| Gabrielle Bertrand | In order to conquer racism, sexism and other oppressions, we must first teach kids the history of these issues so that they have the language to talk about it. In teaching the *complete* history of this country--the good *and* the bad--kids can not only see their own history, but also the history of those around them. The understanding that comes out of this type of learning will not only uplift those marginalized by the dominant narrative but will also lay the foundation for our people to come together as one. |
| Katie Sheldon | students deserve to learn to analyze complicated historical topics. |
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