The pledge was signed by one teacher the week before. It now has 13 pledges from Reno 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.
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 |
|---|---|
| Gaye Mccollum-Nickles | In 30 years of teaching, I’ve never lied to my students. I have taught honest history from the day I first walked into a classroom. I’ve designed curriculum to reflect those values. My courses were based upon scholarly research and often presented what were uncomfortable truths about labor, black listing, vote suppression, Jim Crow, and social justice movements. |
| Allison Smithson | I will always try to be involved in teaching the truth and try to support my colleagues in this endeavor. |
| Gaye Mccollum-Nickles | We used Zinn as our major textbook and supplemented with original materials; that was the right decision. |
| Farrell Vaughn | I teach hard history |
| Nurit Stites | I will not lie to my students about American history of racism, sexism, bigotry, anti semitism, anti- LGBTQ, xenophobia, and suppression of communities and entities. |
| Emma Dickinson | I feel this cause is really important. The lack of critical thinking and open, scientific education is a real threat to our democracy. |
| Ashley Wade | “no comment” |
| Stephen Lafer | We need to develop a robust defense fund for teachers who resist the strictures being imposed. Massive resistance is what is needed and by it, a campaign to inform the public as to why it is in its best interests for teachers to so resist. |
| Rachel Fisher | The cycle of violence cannot end by denying our true history and the ramifications the cycle of oppression continues to have on our society. Educators cannot empower their students with the tools and knowledge to break these cycles of abuse if they are not empowered themselves to speak the truth. |
| Olivia Meyer | So the young generation knows the full story |
| Melissa Greenfield | We need accurate education to change the future |
| Rachel McKinney | “no comment” |
| John Joyce | “no comment” |
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