No new teachers sign the pledge the week before. It now has six pledges from Irvine teachers by the end of the week ending Jan. 15.
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 Irvine teachers included “as a student of color, I could've avoided years of bullying and racism if my peers were educated enough not to be racist. It has costed me years of therapy to gain some sort of peace from the hate I experienced.” and “The only way the future can make change is by truly understanding the past.”.
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 |
|---|---|
| Barbara Frye | “no comment” |
| Kayla Davis | “no comment” |
| Kaon Suh | “no comment” |
| Alexandra Sheridan | The only way the future can make change is by truly understanding the past. |
| Mohammad Raza | as a student of color, I could've avoided years of bullying and racism if my peers were educated enough not to be racist. It has costed me years of therapy to gain some sort of peace from the hate I experienced. |
| Satara Charlson | “no comment” |
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