The pledge was signed by no teachers on Nov. 18, the day before. It now has two pledges from Jupiter 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 Jupiter teachers included, "It is the right thing to do" and "We must create the opportunity and structure for our students to become critical thinkers. We absolutely have to provide them with a variety of viewpoints and experiences from our storied past. Only with this added perspective do we truly have a chance to continue to build to a more perfect and inclusive ideal. How can we truly solve a problem without looking at all the factors in a critical way? We need to continue to build a shared lexicon that allows for thoughtful and nuanced discussions on how to mitigate our past and the best way to build our future".
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 |
|---|---|
| Jason Motta | We must create the opportunity and structure for our students to become critical thinkers. We absolutely have to provide them with a variety of viewpoints and experiences from our storied past. Only with this added perspective do we truly have a chance to continue to build to a more perfect and inclusive ideal. How can we truly solve a problem without looking at all the factors in a critical way? We need to continue to build a shared lexicon that allows for thoughtful and nuanced discussions on how to mitigate our past and the best way to build our future. |
| Todd Lavogue | It is the right thing to do. |
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