The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 23, the day before. It now has one pledge from Brunswick teacher.
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.
The Brunswick teacher wrote "I want to teach the truth and not be forced to teach mere propaganda. I fear that my country, in the name of patriotism, is heading in the opposite direction towards authoritarianism and censoring free speech. I also fear that though my state legislature has not attempted to pass a bill that attempts to censor the teaching of history, it may be influenced by our sister state's attempt." when pledging to teach Critical Race Theory.
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 |
|---|---|
| Terry Martin | I want to teach the truth and not be forced to teach mere propaganda. I fear that my country, in the name of patriotism, is heading in the opposite direction towards authoritarianism and censoring free speech. I also fear that though my state legislature has not attempted to pass a bill that attempts to censor the teaching of history, it may be influenced by our sister state's attempt. |
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