The pledge was signed by no teachers on Oct. 8, the day before. It now has three pledges from Billings teachers.
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 Billings teachers included, "Students need experience with discussing and responding as a community to current events. If we can teach students how to listen to each other and discuss what is happening around them with their friends they will have an essential skill that will benefit them their whole lives!" and "I believe our children must know the truth of the history of our country in order to learn from it and build a stronger, more unified country in the future".
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 |
|---|---|
| Johanna Trout | Students need experience with discussing and responding as a community to current events. If we can teach students how to listen to each other and discuss what is happening around them with their friends they will have an essential skill that will benefit them their whole lives! |
| Laurie Van Roekel | I believe our children must know the truth of the history of our country in order to learn from it and build a stronger, more unified country in the future. |
| Sara Kane | Our community deserves the truth. Our students need authentic experiences. We must confront the hard parts in order to bring brighter days. |
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