No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has four pledges from Pensacola teachers by the end of the week ending March 12.
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 new Pensacola teachers included “Counter-narratives matter” and “I respect my students too much to lie to them; they deserve to know the history of our country - including the "bad" with the "good". How can we end racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. if we are not allowed to have civil discourse about those 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. Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee have passed legislation banning discussions about the US being inherently racist.
Other states, such as Montana and Georgia, have denounced the teachings and are discussing a ban on critical race theory teachings.
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 |
|---|---|
| Valerie Lynch | “no comment” |
| Denise Barnett | I respect my students too much to lie to them; they deserve to know the history of our country - including the "bad" with the "good". How can we end racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. if we are not allowed to have civil discourse about those topics? |
| Jasmine Williams | Counter-narratives matter |
| Marial Quezada | “no comment” |
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