The pledge was signed by no teachers on Jan. 13, the day before. It now has one pledge from La Grande 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 La Grande teacher wrote "Better to learn the truth early that to later learn you've been hoodwinked by our education system. We have committed atrocities since our arrival in the new world all around the world once we gained power. The only way to change OUR government and economic systems is to learn what they are doing." 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 |
|---|---|
| Mary McCracken | Better to learn the truth early that to later learn you've been hoodwinked by our education system. We have committed atrocities since our arrival in the new world all around the world once we gained power. The only way to change OUR government and economic systems is to learn what they are doing. |
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